INDIAN RACISM AND THE PLIGHT OF NORTHEASTERS FROM DELHI

INDIAN RACISM AND THE PLIGHT OF NORTHEASTERS FROM DELHIBalaji Subramanian

INDIAN RACISM AND THE PLIGHT OF NORTHEASTERS FROM DELHI

After the brazen murder of a Manipuri by a bunch of illiterates back in July, again yesterday two boys from North East were badly beaten. Awang Newmei who is 22 and Alato Chishi 23 hail from Nagaland and both were beaten to every inch of their life in Sikanderpur area which is near Gurgoan.

After the brazen murder of a Manipuri by a bunch of illiterates back in July, again yesterday two boys from North East were badly beaten. Awang Newmei who is 22 and Alato Chishi 23 hail from Nagaland and both were beaten to every inch of their life in Sikanderpur area which is near Gurgoan. It is about time we start thinking of others and how we treat some of our own citizens as outsiders.

In the last few years we have seen an increasing level of intolerance towards our brothers and sisters from north east part of India. We call them names which I am not going to dignify in this article, because frankly it makes me physically sick. I am South Indian have been living in Delhi throughout and I have shared my own level of indifference in this city, but never such level of apathy.

I want to make one thing clear, I love Delhi and the diversity in which I grow up which has made me a better person, but how in god’s name did we become so intolerant and violent towards our own people and how long we will have to brave this outrage and let “Hate Crime” this “Indian Racism” flourish in the capital of India.

First the senseless murder of Shaloni, a BPO worker in Kotla Mubarakpur area, again highlighted the problems faced by people coming from North Eastern part of India back in July this year. I am not indicting the entire people of North India when it comes to racial insensitivity; we all have been guilty of saying something derogatory or stay silent and frankly those of us who are silent are the ones who are letting this madness out of control. This is not a one-off incident and reports of attacks on North Eastern students and BPO staffers have been on the rise for a long time and the inaction on the part of Police and civil society is making matters worse.

Also girls from Northeast are harassed on a daily basis for their looks and how they dress. But I must concede girls are harassed all over Delhi. period! And we even have the good sense not to discriminate when it comes to that. However the life of an ordinary girl from Northeast who is either studying or working is no walk in the park, which many of us do without fear.

Why this is happening and what steps have been taken to prevent such attacks in the future? Delhi Police have started a special helpline numbers for Northeastern students and those who work in Delhi NCR. But is this a solution? I do not think so. WHY? They have equal rights under the law and by dialing 100 they should get the same response time as any other person living in Delhi. If there is a special hotline number (1093) for them and I stress the word “Them”, than we have successfully managed to segregate them and have put them in a category. If this helpline number helps them, fine I am very happy, but does that mean the emergency police number 100 has no relevance? In a state of panic I am sure most people will dial 100 and not any specific hotline number created for a group of people who look different may forget at time of grave emergency.

The memory of a young Muslim man being beaten to death in Pune is still fresh in our minds. He was killed because of a particular appearance, so should we go ahead and create a special hotline number of Muslims and then what about the Sikhs, they look conspicuous, should we create a number for them? I promise one thing, the list is endless.

The people from Northeast are law abiding, taxpaying citizens of India and their rights are no less than the next Indian. It is understandable if there is special hotline number for women, but this number 1093 will become a symbol for people from Northeast. We might well ask them to wear a band on their arms with the number 1093 like the Nazis did with Jews by making them wear the Star of David. We must all be treated equally and the word “They and Them” should not be used.

We are all Indians for god sake.

What are we trying to achieve here? Are we trying to send them all packing home? Or we do not want them to be part of India and if that is the case China is more than happy to comply with our wishes. They already have sights set on Arunachal Pradesh, why not the entire states of Northeast. We already equate them to the Chinese and use a very derogatory term to describe them. Imagine if this really happens. Will India become a better country or a weak country?

"Weak" is my answer.

As an Indian we have the right to travel study and work anywhere in India without being discriminated or intimidated by anyone. We cannot tolerate this decease which is spreading in Delhi or any other part of our country and must take steps to improve. Also tougher sentences should be levied on those who perpetuate hate crimes. Those who have been arrested and for a change very quickly by the Delhi Police for this senseless murder of an innocent person should be made to realize the gravity of this situation and it must sink in deeply how they have managed to destroy their own life.

Muhammad Iqbal once famously wrote an Anthem “Sare Jahan se Accha Hindustan Hamara”, which we still sing, but sadly it is no longer the case and if this circle of indifference continues, it will soon be “Sare Jahan se Accha North, South and West Hamara, because we will one day completely alienate our own countrymen and women from the Northeast. So before that happens, let us kill this decease of hate and indifference, let us boycott our own apartheid and be one again.

When Jawaharlal Nehru became India’s 1st Prime Minister in 1947 he used to reside at Teen Murthi Bhawan which was originally built by the British as the residence for its highest military officer in India. Now after independence this sprawling piece of real estate became the official home of Pundit Nehru and when he died in 1964, it became his mausoleum.

Each house or bungalow in the Lutyens Zone is a real estate paradise for anyone and when you can get your hands on it for free which seldom happens for many of our politicians, it would be insane for them to give it all up. I mean just look how centrally it is based with 24 hour water and electricity and the best security one could hope for all at the expense of poor old me, i.e. Indian citizens.

Now after Nehru died this 30 acre land became a temple and overnight this magnificent building which has the capacity to be the office of Prime Minister was turned into a museum. Why? Because we like to devote edifices to our beloved leaders. So why Lalu yadav and Ajit Singh be any different! So he lost an election, and Lalu Yadav was convicted for corruption. What right do we have to ask them to evict. Though after much drama Ajit Singh did leave but Lalu Prasad Yadav is politician of different caliber. However this time he just might lose because he simply has no excuse. His health is fine and I am sure his grandchildren will get admission in good schools in Patna.

So if this is the trend then give one bungalow to Kanshi Ram, after all he managed to start a political party from scratch and became a great leader on his own right. But then again Mayawati as already did enough for him and by the looks of it for herself.

So, how about M.G. Ramachandran the matinee idol from South and former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu?

How about N.T. Rama Rao as this man was practically a “Demi God” in Andhra Pradesh? Next Mulayum Singh Yadav, well he is not dead but let’s not waste any time and book a bungalow in Lutyens right now.

What about Atal Bihari Vajpayee?

And then there is Sonia Gandhi. The 10 Race Course Road is the official and permanent residence of the Nehru Gandhi Clan. The house Indira Gandhi was assassinated is also a mausoleum. So, technically the said family owns the largest piece of real estate in the most prized location in our capital.

The question is when will this madness end? Are our politicians not happy with all the money which they have stolen from us? Now they want to hold on to this imperialistic relic which was built on the blood and sweat of our ancestors who were robbed of everything that they had. The money for these “Blood Bungalows” surely did not come out of the pocket of the King of England, but some poor farmer who died of famine.

And our politician hold one to them shamelessly, clinging like rotten limb which should be severed. Funny thing is they do not even have to pay for its upkeep. Also many of our poor politicians do not pay any electricity or water bill because it would be a sin for any money to come out of their pockets.

The British are gone but our leaders conveniently adopted their life style of everything that is fine on the expanse of the poor masses. Ajit Singh was asked to vacate after he lost reelection and he did after much fanfare and Lalu Prasad Yadav who after being convicted for corruption still somehow managed find it impossible to vacate government property and got an extension for over year using his political influence over the last government. It seems for people like Ajit Singh who is perhaps still smarting because he was forced to vacate and Lalu Yadav giving to give up such bungalow is simply not in their pathology. To them it the last vestige of power that they once had and a symbol of authority where they once held court ergo there monument and mausoleum. Bottom line they are freeloaders and if Lalu yadav has an iota of self-respect he must vacate immediately otherwise he is nothing but an illegal squatter and squanderer of our valuable tax.

Who will challenge Hilary Clinton in the 2016 general election from the republican isle is still not clear. Perhaps by naming Hilary as the Presidential candidate for 2016 is presumptuous because Vice President Joe Biden could also be a very strong candidate. But the question is who will be the Republican Party nominee for the White House because in America the politicians are always in a perpetual motion to fight elections, especially the congressional candidates. Every two years they have to fight elections and it is hard enough to keep the other party candidate at bay but also fend off potential candidates from within the party can be very exhausting and very expensive. Hundreds of millions of dollars are spent on elections from congressional to Senate races and the mother of all elections, held every four years. It is hard to believe that Americans are poor because the amount of uncontrollable money which is spent during the time of elections can perhaps be used for nobler purpose. But then again, what can be nobler than to grease the wheels of democracy. Bottom line, the American primaries and elections is one good yarn.

But I am deviating from the main topic and the question still remains who will challenge Hilary in 2016. This is as far as I am concerned, is merely an academic exercise, but an interesting one at that. In 2012 the Republican Party had to go through a very difficult and long primary during which a number of candidates threw their hats in the race and some of them were smart and some borderline comical, like Texas Governor Rick Perry (who by the way has recently started wearing glasses to look smart), Michele Bachmann a former congresswomen from Minnesota who has no sense of history, former Senator Rick Santorum, business man Herman Cain ending with Congressman Ron Paul and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. I believe Donald Trump also thought about jumping in but decided not to. How fun that would have been? But the eventual winner was Mitt Romney who simply outspent all the other candidates. Would 2016 be the same? It is quite possible.

But let’s just get back to 2014 and check some of the promising Republican candidates who are vying to get the Republican Party nomination. The people who are most likely to contest are Florida Senator Marco Rubio, Congressman and 2012 Republican Vice president Nominee Paul “Iron Man” Ryan, Senator Rand Paul, Ted Cruz, Rick Santorum and quite possibly Mitt Romney and Jeb Bush. From someone who has never been to America this is my honest assessment of possible candidates from the Republican Party.

I do not have access to most American news networks on television except CNN and from what I read online from the leading news websites like the Huffington Post. But one thing is certain, there will be no women candidate who will win the republican nomination for 2016.

No Women Candidates

Let us just assume for a moment that a women candidate has won the Republican Party nomination for2016. But, who shall it be?Michele Bachmann, current governor of South Carolina Nikki Haleyor Sarah Palin who just recently launched her own internet channel “The Sarah Palin Channel”.

At present I do not see any woman within the Republican Party, matching the intellect of Hilary Clinton.The women mentioned above do not stand a chance against Hilary. However Sarah Palin has grown as a politician and will run in either 2020 to 2024 because she has time and more importantly she is not in active politics right now, hence when the time will come she can say that she is an outsider. But right now she will not pick a fight with Hilary because she will not last a single round. With regards to Nikki Haley she does not have national appeal and Michele Bachmann needs a serious lesson in history. So we can rule out any women candidate winning the Republican Nomination.

Though this article is about the possible candidates for GOP Ticket for the office of the President, but somehow I find it impossible not to mention Hilary Clinton. Imagine if Palin or Bachmann would have to debate her. Frankly, she is just out of their league! She is a remarkable speaker and has brilliant analytical mind. She is more than capable when it comes to talking about the domestic problems and when it comes to internationalaffairs, it is safe to assume very few people will be able to match her in the Republican Party, male or female.

Fracture, fractions and why extreme ideology will not work

If we look at the Republican line up, the party is divided into two factions, the establishment i.e. the Grand Old Party (GOP) and then there is the Tea Party which has many members leaning a little too close to the right which has a huge potential to ruin the party’s chances. It is as if there is no place for a moderate Republican within the party anymore. I think almost all the candidates are against issues like immigration, gun control, abortion and same sex marriages to name a few.

In my opinion it will be very difficult for a Republican politician to take an extreme stand and win the Presidential Election because this is for the highest office in America and the idea is to bring people of all walks of life together. The hard stand against emigration, gun control and gay marriage has taken its toll. Also America as a nation is becoming more liberal in its mind set and the aversion to same sex marriage is slowly diminishing.

Just over 50 years ago, the democrats in South were staunch segregationist also known as Dixicrats and were for segregation. But then The Democratic Party simply changed after John F Kennedy became president. But the Republican Party has only become more conservative from a religious stand and when politicians like Rick Santorum and Ted Cruz taking extreme stand against abortion which is important to women without even a reasonable compromise or a dialog, they lose votes. Also moderate conservative republican politicians who have served loyally for years like Senator Lindsey Graham are marginalized and support for aspiring politicians with extreme views are gaining ground. Bottom line the Republican Party at present is suffering due to polarization and its blind Predisposition to Religion.

How to deal with Hilary

Who-so-ever will face Hilary better be prepared with issues which matter. There are few Republican politicians who have some good idea and if implemented to policy can do well for America. But if attacked at personal level she will not show any mercy. She rarely shows her claws but since this will be her last ditch attempt at the White House, she will not spare any tricks. One would have to stick to policy and decisions made by her and the Obama Administration because mistakes have been made. The Republican will not forget Benghazi and the failed Obama care website (but it now seems to be serving its purpose). Since she is part of the Democratic Party, it will be very interesting how she gets herself away from the current administrations mistakes because no rival will talk about the others achievements.

They should wait and pounce on mistakes that she and her campaign make because this election will be bigger than ever. It has often been said if only men voted in election in America the Republican Party will win all the time. The Republican Party has to target women and has to take stand where one can reach a common middle ground. She is also very popular with the young and the minorities so they need to be targeted.

The Republican Party must be very weary of Hilary Clinton who has for so long persevered under tremendous domestic problems due to her husband’s extracurricular activities and still emerge stronger and adamantly focused. However the upcoming midterm election will be the signal of how the 2016 presidential elections fares

In the last 3 months the new government headed by Narendra Modi had one victory after another against Pakistan. But the question is how long we can push it? Is it in our best interest if Pakistan becomes a failed nuclear state? Is that our objective? Because if that is the objective, we will be putting ourselves at great risks.

Yes, politicians like to say things which can stir up nationalistic fervor and gain crucial political points and sadly this is what many of the politicians are doing on the other side of the border. But in India we are starting to get a little bit out of control. We all like to win, but no one likes a winner who gloats too much and this could definitely prove to be a good thing for Pakistan and we do not want that because not all statements deserve a reply.

Pakistan still is trying to stir the pot on the International border to get attention and every time that has proved futile. India must respond strongly but by action and not by words. People forget who hit who but words echo for a long time. The comments made by our defense minister Arun Jaitley when he said "When Pakistan used to fire, we always had a shield in our hand. This time we also had a sword," will help him score major points with the public, but in the long run we do not want it. Now I am not saying the defense minister should not have consolatory comments towards Pakistan and I am sure he and the BJP government want to start a dialogue soon, but under an equitable climate.

Maybe we need to tone down a bit. We have won this round and should remain alert not vocal, empathetic and not belligerent. Remember a cornered beast is most dangerous so it would be good to remember what San Tzu said “The opportunity to secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself.” In the long run, the path chosen by Pakistan will not be in its favor because they do not have what it takes to sustain themselves and we can. It is always unwise to discuss ones strength openly and parade the weakness of the enemy in public. Bold statement will give us pleasure but it will motivate them, and who knows what they might do when totally disparate.

Since the BJP came to power it has still somehow managed to get an extension on its honeymoon period, especially in foreign affairs which are rare because sooner or later there is always a cock up. But this has not happed thus far and there may be arguments against this, but so far BJP has won every session. So it would be prudent to continue and just for posterity we will have to carry Pakistan for few more rounds because if we knock them down they will disintegrate which is not in our best interest, so we must wear them down. Use the same tactic against them. A test match only lasts for 5 days but in this case BJP have 5 years and it’s still a long way to go.

Ever since Narendra Modi has taken over the office of Prime Minister, he has set a record of travelling to foreign countries. He has had successful visit to Brazil, Bhutan, Nepal, Japan and America, so far. He also plans to visit Myanmar, Australia and china by the end of this year. This makes Mr. Modi one of the most travelled Indian Prime Minister in a span of just over five months after taking office and there is still two months to go. Also he has managed to win crucial state election in Maharashtra and Haryana and also he had to face two natural calamities, one in south east and one in the volatile state of Jammu and Kashmir.

Now critics can take a fine comb and go through all the decisions Modi and his cabinet has made and come up with several mistakes and yes mistakes have been made, but nothing drastic to stop the momentum of ending the “Honeymoon Period.”

But first let us look into the foreign policy side.

Narendra Modi has taken active foreign policy to new levels which we have not pursued in a long time. India as a nation has lot to offer and by travelling to all these nations, most of which are our neighbors gives a strong signal of a resurgent India. He has also received heads of state of two very influential nations, China and Australia and has managed to negotiate complex deals and agreements.

No one can call Modi a backwater politician because he has proved his foreign policy credentials or he has the good scene to listen to experts. A politician may be highly educated and well versed in international diplomacy but still require policy advisors and it seems he is clearly listening to them. It is always important to talks to major powers, but the attention given to India’s long neglected neighbors was perhaps the most important domestic foreign policy decision he has ever made.

The visit to Bhutan and Nepal was more important than any other visit elsewhere because China was gaining significant track in all these nations and ignoring them would have costs us dearly.

Domestic front.

They say politics is perception and when people see a young American President climbing stairs quickly, it gives people hope that their leader is vibrant. Modi some may argue is not be as swift as Obama, but if that is the case he has more than compensated it with his suave. He has managed to generate new energy into the country which has given the people a renewed optimism which was not there in the last five years. Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is man more intellectually gifted then Mr. Modi and no one will ever contest that. But what we require now is a real politician and Modi has done exactly that or he has managed to portray that. Either way it has worked.

The defeat in the by-elections is now but a memory and the thumping victory in Maharashtra and Haryana has again proven he is still carrying his momentum from the general election victory. How long this will continue totally depends on how well he manages his political underlings and how much non partisan politics he will commit himself to.

What a day for Paksitan when Malala Yousafzai was announced as the 2014 joint recipient of Nobel Prize for Peace shared with India’s Kailash Satyarthi. This is indeed a tremendous achievement for a girl who did not back even an inch from that crazy Pakistan Taliban. Ever since she recovered from her head wounds, she has been a passionate and outspoken crusader of girl education in Pakistan and all over the world.

And then there is Bilawal Bhutto Zardari the son of assassinated former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and former President Mr. 10% Asif Ali Zardari. This man was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and when he turned 21 inherited a political party. Usually it is a trust fund for the rich but for Bilawal Bhutto as he is known now received the family inherence of the Pakistan People’s Party which was founded by his grandfather Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.

Both Malala and Bilawal are young, but when we see how they conduct themselves, it is unimaginable how this Oxford educated nincompoop could one day become the leader of Pakistan and Malala a girl who is still only 17 years old would never be able to accomplish this task. The reason is very simple; she is pragmatic and would not hesitate to speak against injustice happening in Pakistan supported by her father who receives so little credit for his efforts as an educator.

On the other hand Bilawal who is led by the nose by his father Asif Ali Zardari also known as Mr. 10% is nothing but another self entitled brat who has made it to the top because of the money which has been usurped by his family for since the creation of Pakistan. The difference is palpable even when it comes to parents and the only common ground Mr. Zardari and Mr. Yousafzai have is they are both responsible biologically for the existence of these two people.

Here is a 17 year old girl who can speak with such eloquence it could make many grown men feel shy in her presence and on the other hand is Bilawal who is a grown man and if anyone would listen to his speeches would simply die laughing. Bilawal Zardari should learn from Malala when it comes to the intricacies of the art of speaking. When he screamed on top his voice and declared he would get every inch of Kashmir from India, people laughed.

His latest antic of getting a million people to march from Trafalgar Square to 10 Downing Street for the Kashmir cause was an utter disaster and people started throwing bottles and tomato. Bilawal Zardari’s call to a million people to raise the Kashmir issue “fizzled faster than an aerated drink.” On the other hand Malala has been creating ripples all over the world with her eloquence speeches and her humbleness of her achievements. In that rally Bilawal had to run for his life and it is perhaps the only experience he shares with Malala. But even then it may be not close to comparison when it comes to life and death situation.

There are many admirers of Malala in Pakistan and it must be a very proud moment for them, but the haters are also in large numbers calling her a lackey of the west. But she is exactly what Pakistan need and not someone like Bilawal who is least bothered about the advancement of his country, rather fills his coffers.

Yes, Bilawal had congratulated Malala for being awarded the Noble prize for peace and he also had asked her to join to help improve education in Sindh. But what he really needs to do is not to make any political hay, but instead work towards the betterment of the people of Pakistan who still do not have access to medical care, education and still are considered personal property of the landowners. So one can safely conclude that Malala is a rare anomaly in Pakistan and Bilawal a natural process of political ascendency and they could be indeed be called a Paradox of Pakistan.

31st October is a date which will always be remembered as the day when for the first time in our history a Prime Minister was assassinated who also happened to be the first and only women PM we had since. What followed was one of the darkest chapters of our history and a permanent stain on our democratic and secular ethos. Indira Gandhi was perhaps one of the most charismatic leaders this country had ever seen because she was bold and at times very decisive, unlike so many of her contemporaries. When everyone thought she was finished, she would rise to the occasion and prove everyone wrong. But sadly on this day 31 years ago, men who had sworn to protect her gunned her down and then the circle of violence started against the Sikh community and the reminiscence and echo of that shameful chapter could still be felt all across New Delhi and the families who lost their loved ones.

It is not important to get into the politics and the reasons why Indira Gandhi was assassinated, but what we need to look into is why did the state watched and let so many of its citizens be raped and murdered, their property looted and destroyed. It was a day when the “State Stood Still” which is tantamount to committing the crime itself. Mobs were organized and instigated by highly influential people some of whom have already died and some still alive but would never see the darkness of prison cell because of politics. What transpired after 31st of October in simple words was a carefully planned “State Sponsored Genocide” which is something we in India are all used to. But to drag other instances would take away the importance of this event, not that other events do not have any significance but the idea is not to lose singular focus regarding 1984 Sikh riots in Delhi.

The security forces were not only instructed to stand down, many actively participated and took their pound of flesh that day. No Police Officer till date has been convicted for dereliction of duty for allowing unbridled atrocity on our own countrymen relentlessly for 10 days. But in this period of great confusion, loss and turmoil there are stories of courage and compassion which proved that ‘not all of us cruel and vindictive. Many Sikhs were saved and people did their best to protect their property. But more importantly lives were saved and a message was sent to the people who led the charge to seek revenge and personal vendetta, it would take a lot more to kill our humanity and kindness for our fellow brotherin.

The newly anointed Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi who was the first son of Indira Gandhi did nothing and allowed the carnage to continue in Delhi for days. Only after things got really out of hand and enough blood had been shed to douse the anger of congress party supporters and its leaders did the carnage come to ignoble end. Rajiv Gandhi was also sadly killed in one of the most tragic and brutal way seven years later and it would be barbaric to call that poetic justice. But in the heart of all those people who lost a father, husband, son, wife, sister, mother maybe it was poetic justice. Perhaps in their hearts the misery of seeing a loved one burnt alive is too much to forgive but somehow the very people who were wronged are still waiting for justice with quite dignity.

Several commissions had been set up over the years and the eye witness accounts are innumerable, yet not one of the senior congress ministers went to prison. In other words it was one of the greatest cover-ups this country had ever seen. Files and police records were destroyed and eyewitness account falsified, a deflated figure of number of people killed was put forth. Voices were muffled and lives of people changed forever. The scars of those 10 days in November can still be seen in the eyes of many Sikh families in Delhi and other parts of the country.

What precipitated after was a direct manifestation of the riots which took a huge toll on the hearts and mind of the Sikh community and the dawn of a long and bloody terrorism which took the lives of so many people. It was bad enough to destroy the Golden Temple, one of the holiest shrines of Sikh religion but the failure of the state to give protection and also actively participate in rioting was a dark mark in our democracy and people are yet to regain their faith.

The Delhi High Court in verdict said “Though we boast of being the world's largest democracy and Delhi being its national capital, the sheer mention of the incidents of 1984 anti-Sikh riots in general and the role played by Delhi Police and state machinery in particular makes our heads hang in shame in the eyes of the world polity.” That was just the courts observation but the victims and families of over 3000 people killed in Delhi in 1984 Sikh riots still await justice and in doing so many an eyes have long past and many a youth and innocence destroyed

The article in Times of India about China placing their submarines in Sri Lanka is certainly huge concern and security problem for India and with Chinese submarines patrolling the strategic Palk Strait this has now turned into a National Security problem. This bold act of defiance by Sri Lanka is a clear and direct manifestation of poor oversight in our foreign policy in the last five to six years under the congress government headed by Manmohan Singh. This has occurred because the alliance headed by congress was more concerned about maintaining its alliance at the center, rather than cause rift with its partner the DMK in Tamil Nadu headed by M Karunanidhi which has led to Politics over National Security.

China first helped build ports and other infrastructures in Sri Lanka and now it has submarines docked in them and this has happened because the congress politicians had put Politics over National Security. The submarines which are right now docked in Lankan ports are first strike weapons and carry with them Submarine Launched Ballistic Missiles (SLBM) which has the capability to hit any target with minimal or no warning. These subs are designed to stealth and when docked or allowed to patrol so close in our waters they pose a direct threat to our Navy and other important strategic military installations. If we allow the Lankans to let China use its ports and waters, we would be faced with same problems as America did in 1962 during the Cuban Missile crisis.

Now an argument could be made that the recent overture by India to its south east neighbors like Vietnam was the cause of this action from China. But even if we back out all the deals, both economic and strategic with Vietnam, what guarantees we have China will not back down and would never allow its submarines so close to India. The answer is Zero, China has no compulsion or obligation to back off. For them this is a huge victory and why would they give back this strategic advantage. They are clearly set their hearts in dominating the Indian Ocean and do not want any competition in South China Sea.

Our Navy is very strong, but our Achilles Heal has and for the time being will be a very old outdated submarine fleet. Most of our subs are no match to the advanced Chinese subs and we only have one nuclear attack submarine on lease from Russia. We do not have SLBM capability and it is still under development stage which means our strike capability is limited. Sure we have long range nuclear payload carrying capable ballistic missiles, but they are land based. The advantage of launching a ballistic missile from a submarine is tenfold compared to land based missiles because you absolutely do not get any warning of incoming attack which leaves us blind and vulnerable.

Now Sri Lanka has given us assurance that it will never allow China to use its territory or waters for military purpose, but it is not very convincing and this is all due to poor diplomacy guided by local politics. We have allowed this to happen not because China has powerful military, but our politicians are hell bent on keeping their seats in Parliament. It was very refreshing and the right way forward by the current BJP led government to actively engage our southeastern neighbors and develop more closer ties because let’s face it they need us. But what is perplexing is even after India told the Sri Lankan defense minister Gotabaya Rajapaksa brother of the current Lankan Prime Minister of its displeasure they have gone ahead let the Chinese anchor a nuclear submarine at their ports.

India had played the diplomatic game by abstaining from a UN sponsored resolution over mass human right abuses by the Lankan military against Lankan Tamils and this was just to placate them. India should have gone on to support this resolution because massive scale of Human right violation did occur and it was simple case of revenge. The government of Mahinda Rajapaksa clearly wanted to quench its lust for ravage and India abstaining was a move for both which according to logic was a face-saver. But in doing so we have allowed a nation in which we should have more influence run into the arms of our biggest security threat. One must also point out that the Pakistan’s notorious Inter Service Intelligence is running strong networks of agents to plot terror attack fashioned on the Mumbai 2009 attacks.

With so many problems emanating from Sri Lanka, India must surely use the leverage of close proximity to make the Lankans make policy correction. We need to engage them diplomatically and make them understand that their long term interest lies with India and their future is guaranteed on our national security.

On 2nd November 2014 the city of Kochi a very beautiful and old city in gods own country Kerala something happened which no one could ever think of in India. It was the day the “Kiss of Love” movement came crashing on us. Authorities were ever vigilant to stop these crazy people who have started a movement contrary to our beliefs but as one of the protesters was being dragged away the eternal words of Pablo Naruda aptly summarized the day “You can cut all the flowers but you cannot keep the spring from coming.”

A new spring is coming but on its way are the custodians of Indian morals the self-styled vigilantes of Indian society the Shiv Sena, Bajrang Dal and Sunni Yuvajana Sangatana workers. But these goons who want to save the country from this bunch of shameless, devoid of any moral sense are the one which we could happily do away with. This was a call against the growing tide of moral policing which has brought hurt to a lot of people. Who can forget how brazenly the supporters of Pramod Muthalik leader of Rashtriya Hindu Sena, the parent organization of the Sri Ram Sena attacked hapless boys and girls in Mangalore pub attacking young boys and girls for bring disrepute to Indian culture. But the country just watched and no action was taken against them.

But how easily the organizers and supporters of this movement were arrested and packed like sardine in police vans were taken away. Why do we never see such thing when the moral police of India in their full crescendo go out and hurt people and property, government and private? The answer will be a strong yes. These peaceful protesters had had enough of bullying from these goons whose mindset is not that different from Taliban and can the police lay claim that the Kiss of love protesters damaged any property? They have not hurt anyone, nor have they indulged in vandalism, but then why the authorities and police acted so swiftly to apprehend these people? Why the police never react when we actually need their help? It is because they are under the thumb of people who crave noting but power and re-election.

Kerala has the highest percentage of literacy rate in India and always had a very progressive and open mind set. But somehow over the last few years they have allowed subversive groups to thrive in that state that generally never had a foothold. These “Storm Troopers of Morality” are only interested in subjugating us to their beliefs and medieval mindsets. It is comforting to see when fringe elements of our religious right who are generally at each other’s throats in the matter of religion always seem to forge an alliance to fight these immoral people.

America in all its infinite wisdom believes in one and one thing only, it is always right, it has always tried to proselytize nations that are unwilling to accept their thinking and no impediment will be tolerated on the pursue of American way of life. The blunt admission by the Pentagon the American Military Nerve center of the support given by Pakistan to various terror groups which operate in Afghanistan and India to undermine security is not surprising by any means. This is one open secret which they knew but never publicly admitted because for over ten years Pakistan was the launch pad for the logistics to fight terror groups in Afghanistan and now that they have decided to leave it is very clear that the once non NATO partner has been kicked to the curb and the implicit admission of direct collusion with various proxies has now taken the form of explicit admission.

The Pentagon’s report to the US congress was precise and substantiated and was a long time due, however as the old euphemism goes it did not blow anyone’s skirt. In the report it is clearly mentioned that how Pakistan uses proxy elements to sponsor terrorism. In its six monthly report to the congress the Pentagon said “Afghan - and India - focused militants continue to operate from Pakistan territory to the detriment of Afghan and regional stability. Pakistan uses these proxy forces to hedge against the loss of influence in Afghanistan and to counter India's superior military."

Two questions come to mind.

Why admit now Pakistan’s role in destabilizing Afghanistan and use asymmetrical warfare tactics against India?

To answer the first question we must look at the historical relationship post 9/11 between America and Pakistan and how on the one hand Pakistan allowed its land to be used to fight terrorism and at the same time provided material support to Taliban, Al Qaeda, Haqqani Network and Lashkar-e-Taiba. Pakistan was on a downward spiral after it tested nuclear weapons and in return America imposed sanctions which greatly affected its already fragile economy. But 9/11 was a blessing in disguise for Pakistan as it bought lot of goodies from the US. From military hardware to other financial endowments going into Billions of dollars were given to Pakistan and it secretly and deceitfully used it against India.

Why publicly berate Pakistan and fall short of calling it a terrorist sponsoring state when America and its allies who have packed their bags and are now leaving?

The investment made by America is not working out and all the money spent in building a stable Afghanistan looks very bleak. The amount of Opium produced each year is not going down which in turn is funding the terror network. Also America now needs to focus more on Iraq and fight ISIS and the threat from the Khorasan group. Interest in Afghanistan was long lost with the people of America, Bin Laden is dead and President Obama has other domestic and international problems to deal with.

A lot of people in India were very happy when this 100 pages report was published and called it a vindication of our truth and the problems that we have faced over 20 years of Pakistan sponsored terrorism. But instead of rejoicing we need to think, in the eternal words of the Godfather Don Corleone “why we deserve this generosity?” Why this report should make us happy and what will be the outcome of it? It is not as if Pakistan will change overnight because everyone knows there is no communication between one hand to the other. The other hand i.e. the Army and the Inter Service Intelligence does what it thinks is in their best interests and India cannot expect Détente anytime soon.

By 2016 all foreign troops would have left and it will not take too much time for ISIS to spread its influence over this beautiful land called Afghanistan. Pakistan, especially the Army will always have and always will try to maintain its hegemony over its western neighbor and continue to use now the famous term “Non State Actors” which has now been debunked publicly and the veils lifted. There was and still ample evidence of the direct relationship between the ISI and various terror networks who have carried out direct terror actions against India and Afghanistan and the 26/11 attacks stands out.

All news papers and news network had field day with this news and experts were called to break every bit of this report and analysis were made. But to what use and propose, America had always advised India to show restrain and asked us to be patent but it had always acted by its own rules which sadly it creates as the situation demands. This is something which India has been shouting over the roof for god knows how many years. This report gave our foreign ministry the ammunition to fire and the ever so eloquent official spokesperson in External Affairs Ministry Syed Akbaruddin said "It manifests a growing acknowledgment in the international community of the extent of Pakistan's involvement in international terrorism."

The question is where was this acknowledgement which we deserved years ago and now since the dynamics of US Pak relationship has changed it is so easy to blame Pakistan. America was on the sidelines for a long time and 9/11 changed all that. For America it is “either you are with us or against us” policy. America needs India more than ever because China is running wild and they need a stable partner to counter that and so do we. But India must ask what about a nuclear and politically unstable Pakistan and its military which would neither let talks happen or relent from supporting terror organizations. This report was an open secret made public and can be called the old American Habit of Coming Clean Late, however it can be safely presumed Pakistan will not heed.

Call it a cruel Irony or a simple twist of fate, it is now clear that America with all its military might just does not have what it takes to degrade and defeat ISIS in Iraq and Syria without taking help from Iran. The letter sent by President Obama to the Supreme Spiritual leader of Iran Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in which he says ISIS is a common enemy and Iran and America must work together to end ISIS dominance in the Middle East. This is an acknowledgement and a long delayed step in renewing relationship with perhaps the most sensible regime in the Persian Gulf. Citing anonymous U.S. officials Wall Street Journal reported "Mr. Obama stressed to Mr. Khamenei that any cooperation on Islamic State was largely contingent on Iran reaching a comprehensive agreement with global powers on the future of Tehran's nuclear program by a Nov. 24 diplomatic deadline."

Already the effect of this letter is being felt in Washington and now the republicans who control the Senate and congress, President Obama will have difficulty conducting this foreign policy. Already in a joint statement Senator John McCain and Lindsay Graham said ''The consequences of this ill-conceived bargain would destroy the Syrians' last, best chance to live in freedom from the brutal Assad regime.''

Now if we look at their point of view then yes Assad’s regime in Syria was the cause and rise of ISIS due to its cruel practices against the Sunnis. But if Iran agrees to the Nuclear Accord then this would be a significant foreign policy victory for Obama and America. Iran will be allowed to develop their nuclear program for energy only and it will cut back on its number of centrifuges enriching uranium and redesigning a planned heavy water reactor so they cannot produce plutonium which is needed for nuclear warheads.

All hell broke loose just 35 years ago when angry protesters stormed the US embassy which then led to a hostage crisis which lasted well over a year. But that was then and now the situation demands Iran and America must work together. This letter has already created domestic problems and not to mention diplomatic conundrums with Israel with whom it can be said the relationship between both allies are at their lowest ebb. Also other Sunni Dominant state, especially Saudi Arabia will not be pleased, but if they have any sense they must realize this is the only way out. Anyway America and Iran are already fighting ISIS in their own way.

This will lead to an immediate easing of sections which has crippled the Iranian economy. Also Iran has one of the highest literacy rates and no restriction on woman’s education. Iran as a nation is still haunted by the mistake made by America in the 1950’s when it toppled the democratically elected government of Mohammad Mosaddegh and installed the Shah who was eventually overthrown. Also the level of support given by America to Iraq under Saddam Hussian is still fresh in the minds of Iranian leaders.

The problem is America cannot have its cake and eat it too. It wants a nuclear free Iran and it also wants the Assad’s regime to fall. Also America wants to destroy ISIS and to do that relations have to be forged and past grudges have to be overcome. America’s Middle Eastern partners must realize the eventuality of a future diplomatic relations between Iran and America is inevitable depending upon who will take over the White House in 2016 or may be President Obama could accomplish this task before his tenure ends.

Whenever Pakistan cries it is a victim of terrorism there is no taker for that and in the next 2 to 3 years it could end up as the next Syria and Iraq. Attacks are being carried out with impunity within Pakistan and almost on a daily basis both civilians and security officials are dying. Also a large number of Pakistanis mindset is not that different from the values of ISIS which believes it has divine providence to attack all non-believers, imposition of Sharia law and create an Islamic state. The recent burning of a Christian couple in Punjab for alleged blasphemy is the perfect manifestation of how minorities in Pakistan are living in constant fear of being killed or have their girls kidnapped and forced to marry someone outside their faith. This has quite eerie resemblance to ISIS.

Now if reports are to be believed which were published in Times of India, ISIS the most powerful and richest terror organisation in the world is now planning to spread its wings in Pakistan. If Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is not too wounded or dead if reports are to be believed the next call by the Caliph would be the call of arms in Pakistan. The Dawn Newspaper has reported on its website that the 'secret information report' dated October 31 states that ISIS has claimed to have recruited a massive 10,000 to 12,000 followers from the Hangu district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Kurram tribal district. Also report from the Home and Tribal Affairs Department of Balochistan says “It has been reliably learnt that Daish has offered some elements of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) and Ahl-e-Sunnat Wal Jamat (ASWJ) to join hands in Pakistan. Daish has also formed a 10-member Strategic Planning Wing.”

If these reports are factual then Pakistan, a country which is already suffering from bad economy, rampant corruption, no job prospect for young and to top it all a weak government controlled by the India centric military will be a perfect ground for ISIS. Everyone would agree when there is no development of infrastructure and a majority of populace is in perpetual poverty, it is not very difficult to attract them and give them Jihad as an outlet for all the anger and disentrancement which they feel.

Now just a few days back a Pentagon report submitted to the US Congress, categorically stated that the Pak military and its intelligence wing the Inter Service Intelligence was completely involved in promoting terror in India and Afghanistan. This was always an open secret but the admission does help. Now if ISIS comes to Pakistan and it will easily find many supporters who share its ideology, then the minorities will have no place to run except to India or Iran or face death and slavery.

Al Qaeda is a group which is on the downward spiral because America systematically destroyed its ways and means by either capturing its leaders or killing them. The Al Qaeda has pledged its allegiance to Mullah Omar of the Taliban who was proclaimed as Amir al-Mu'minin Commander of the Faithful, but for how long? Yes money has been raised by cultivating Poppy for Heroin, but they do not have the same level of financial backing and social networking platform like ISIS. Plus there are other Jihadist groups who have no allegiance to the Taliban and its leaders have their own plans. These are the groups which ISIS will get hold of and fund their operations.

Pakistan is the only Islamic country which has nuclear weapons and if nothing else attracts ISIS this surely will. Also a military which has been radicalized for decades is the most fertile ground for recruitment. Malik Mumtaz Hussain Qadri was the body guard who shot and killed Salman Taseer who was Governor of Punjab and he now sits in a prison and knows it would take a very bold step on the part of the government to punish him. People like Qadri have so much influence at present he runs for political office he would win.

If we take all these factors into consideration plus the many groups who share the puritanical ideology, in few months Pakistan will face its greatest test yet and its military its greatest opponent. They will have to fully concentrate on fighting its own people which will lead to more resentment. Any idea of pointing ISIS towards India will only prove more dangerous and could lead to serious confrontation. The policy of giving support to non state actor’s to wage asymmetrical warfare in India and Afghanistan will prove to be its greatest threat yet and probable civil war in Pakistan. ISIS will be defeated in the Middle East and all the swaths of land under its control taken back but Pakistan could very well prove to be the “place for ISIS” and make Pakistan a Perfect Cesspool for ISIS to Grow.

What prompted a group of students to kiss publicly is what everyone is asking and many in our country who for their lack of awareness think this is insane. However the reason why this Kiss of Love is springing in autumn is very simple. Unbridled and uncontrollable vigilantism by the political rightwing of this country who firmly believe it is their right to protect the culture of this great nation. Now it seems when it comes to cultural and moral policing all rightwing group of all religion tend to join forces that are generally on the opposite spectrum often due to religious issues. But enough is enough we the people must take a stand and fight for our rights and not allow these goons to dictate how we should live our lives. This Kiss of Love Movement is a direct manifestation of the sick grip rightwing groups have over this country and the impunity in which they are allowed to flourish.

Now let us see how different the kiss of love protesters behave and how our moral police behave. Has there been even a single incident of violence and destruction of public or private property attributed to them. The answer is zero. Whenever our friendly neighborhood moral police go out on petrol duty, they brazenly indulge in violence and attack young boys and girls and justify their action as it is their sacred duty to protect women and our culture. They will attack newspapers and news networks if anything is written or spoken against them and call it a liberal conspiracy or call it Pseudo Secularism which ever suites then at that juncture.

Couple of days back the Kiss of Love movement stuck the nation’s capital were students from JNU decided to protest in front of the RSS headquarters which isthe Bastian of protecting Hindu Culture.Now there is nothing wrong in protecting ones culture and heritage but with rightwing organisation like the Hindu Sena, Bajrang Dal, VHP the only response is violence which is sadly encouraged. Now the same goes for all religious rightwing group of all religion.

Usually those young and upstanding boys who take part in this unlawful civil action led by an elder are not that educated and can be easily manipulated. Also they are socially awkward and have difficulty communicating with women which in reality they want to do. They also want a girlfriend to go out and watch a movie and then enjoy a meal in a restaurant on Valentine’s Day. But since most girls have the right sense to ignore such boys, they get frustrated and the outcome is violence.

Why such movements make these narrow-minded delinquents so nervous? These young boys and girls are not going to destroy this nation. They are not going to sell state secrets. Then why this hostility towards these believers in free speech and non violence. All they ask is to live their law abiding life on their terms. Who gave these social contractors of morals the right to dictate their will by means of violence and threats and why no actions are ever taken against them? Just check the internet and one would find cases after cases of violent acts committedby such groups.

One thing is certain the rightwing groups are overly sensitive and anything could stirrup emotions. Be it a film or paintings by an artist and books which are thought provoking. Their sensitivities always get hurt very quickly and the only way of expression is through uncontrolled violence which is often supported by our politicians regardless of which party they belong to for their own gain. The liberal ideals on which this country was formed is being slowly but surely hijacked by these bottom dwelling Neanderthals who show no respect for life, liberty and freedom of expression.

The Stock Market closed at an historical high and the Shiv Sena and the Congress party held the governor of Maharashtra hostage and the poor man in the process even got injured for which 5 congress MLA’s have been suspended. However after the BJP led by its new Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis managed to defeat a no confidence motion in the Maharashtra Assembly, former Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan called the entire trust vote a black day in democracy. But in the end the biggest loser to emerge from all this is the Shiv Sena headed by the fickle minded Uddhav Thackeray. Because of this, the Shiv Sena has lost a very big opportunity to play a major role in state and national politics.

The inability to gauge the public mood and the momentum which Narendra Modi has still managed to sustain after winning the general election will prove as a definitive and detrimental cause of this party’s fall from grace. It would not come as a surprise if a few Shiv Sena MLA’s jump ships, both at state and maybe at the center.

In all this confusion the NCP (Means to an End Party) has emerged as the unlikeliest winner by supporting the BJP from the outside and bamboozling Shiv Sena and isolating congress in Maharashtra. The NCP and its core leadership of Sharad Pawar, Ajit Pawar and Praful Patel are one of the most opportunistic politicians who will get into bed with just about anyone to retain power or escape from investigations for mismanaging the economy. The NCP will genuflect to anyone, to them it is a means to an end and neither do they feel nor see any shame in it. But still managing to become the third largest party in Maharashtra after having had the pleasure of making some of the most crude, snide and insensitive comments by its leaders over the hapless farmers of Maharashtra is an achievement. Ajit Pawar should be singled out for coming up with most obeisance comments about the plight of farmers! The man really knows how to touch the hearts of the people.

Even before the elections the congress party was the anointed loser in Maharashtra and now to cry and call the winning of the Trust Vote by the BJP as illegitimate is a clear sign of a sore loser. But it is the Shiv Sena who has lost ground in a big way. They threatened BJP, cajoled BJP, threatened again and finally it became comical. If Raj Thackeray managed to make himself a political pariah, Uddhav has done even better. With over 60 MLA’s and 18 members of Parliament he just could not out maneuver Modi and Amit Shah. Did he not get the memo when the BJP only offered one cabinet birth and would not budge?

Let’s be clear Uddhav Thackeray Simply lacks the political acumen of his late father Bal Thackeray and has made a hash of things. Uddhav’s undermining and insulting Modi during the elections was never really forgotten, but when a man keeps sending signals of dissent and support clearly did not fool the BJP leadership. They knew he was desperate for power and if he had accepted the BJP’s terms, maybe in the future during an opportune moment Uddhav Thackeray could have negotiated a better deal. Now he could face a bit of a rebellion in his party with members hoping to get a cabinet position in the new government. If this happens by the time the next elections will be held in this state, the Shiv Sena could be as marginalized as his cousins, the only leader of MNS.

As of now there is nothing the Shiv Sena can do and a word for caution for the BJP is how they will manage a fickle NCP. Will they be investigating all the corruption cases against them and now as they are in power how they plan to pass bills. The overwhelming defeat of Congress and NCP was a clear mandate by the people, but what they want most is good governance and if it comes at the cost of taking support from NCP, so be it.

For the common man, business has picked up, stock prices rising, fuel prices going down and a get on with business government at the center which is the need of the hour. The BJP has definitely won this session but this is Test Match and a lot more surprises, twist and turns and political intrigue still remains to be unfolding in Maharashtra.

Is female genital mutilation practised in India? Wait till you get to the last paragraph to find the right answer.

Trust our authorities to make totally uncalled for and utterly irresponsible and reprehensible statements and cause tsunamis when there is not a ripple in the calm waters of academia and everything seems to be hunky dory between the student community and the faculty. Sometimes it is about how female students should dress and sometimes about how harmful a cell phone is to their own safety and security. Only the other day, some college authorities in Bengaluru hit upon the revolutionary idea of asking female students to fill out a questionnaire which probed into their personal space by asking questions like their before-and-after-college-hours-contacts. When confronted by the Media about the propriety of taking such action, the authorities surprised one and all by enlisting the support of the parents of the very same female students whose basic right to privacy they had tried to violate; the parents, they would have us believe, wanted the college authorities to keep track of the movements of their female wards even after college hours! Hence their attempt to put a tab on the hapless girls. What would they think of next? Implant a chip on their body? Carry out frisking and cavity search, maybe?

In the latest of this season's funny shows, restrictions have been imposed on access to a library in the premises of Aligarh Muslim University by its female students. The rationale behind such a unique move has been the apparent apprehension of the university authorities that female company on the portals of the library would be detrimental to the advancement of the male students' academic excellence! So, give the dog a bad name and hang him! Or should I say her?

When it comes to telling women of our country what they should do and what they should not, there is a virtual stampede of men, falling over each other, vying to profer unsolicited advice regardless of their own credentials or locus standi to address the issue at hand. Women don't have to think for themselves or take decisions regarding their own lives. It has all been so very thoughtfully and conveniently outsourced to the menfolk. Never mind the question of women's empowerment or human rights which constitute but a trivial matter to be relegated to the realm of mere statistics in our scheme of things.

So what if India lags behind sub-Saharan States in matters such as mortality rate or malnutrition of female children? Proud inheritors that we are of arguably the most ancient civilization in the world and a very rich culture which dates back to the hoary past of Ramayana and Mahabharata, where is the question of our being compared with some unheard of African countries? Such a comparison would not only be unpatriotic or demeaning but even tantamount to an act of sacrilege. The world had better take note that we are a nation of worshippers of goddesses, We are, as such, the rightful guardians of the typical Indian value system and women's morality. In any case, how we treat our women is nobody else's business, innit? Discussion over.

When are we, as a nation, going to, if at all, grow out of the warped mindset bequeathed to successive generations by a procrustean patriarchal society which betrays no sign of slackening its stranglehold on women who are equal stakeholders, just as men, in the country's inexorable march to economic development and the withering of social disparity? If centres of higher learning are not going to set an example to the rest of the nation by treating their female students on an even keel with the male ones, and continue to behave like glorified khap panchayats, as they have been doing from time to time, it would not only be a case of meting out insult to our daughters as correctly pointed out by HRD Minister Smriti Irani, but also one of gross violation of human rights and natural justice. All right thinking people should ask themselves as to how different curbing a female student's access to library is from the barbaric practice of committing female genital mutilation. Woe betide a country which refuses to desist from committing the folly of discriminating against one half of its society and allowing male arrogance and dominance flourish and thrive!

A Vicissitude of thought process is taking place with just two years remaining in President Barack Obama’s term. He may have lost the midterm elections and the congress to an uncompromising and often over the top Republican Party, but he now has full control over foreign policy and he will make the most of it. The loss in the midterm elections could perhaps be a blessing since his hands were tied due to domestic constraints and the politics associated with it. But now he is not bound by any commitment. Not to the Republicans or the Democrats who distanced themselves from him.

It seems he now has plenipotentiary over his foreign policy without oversight like Bush did back in 2007 and by sending a letter to Iran Mr. Obama has perhaps gambled the most dangerous foreign policy initiatives.

To prove it, he has already sent a letter to Ali Hosseini Khamenei the current Ayatollah and defacto leader of Iran who will decide upon the yet to be signed nuclear deal on 24th November which created a huge uproar in the political circle. Ali Shamkhani, the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said we can’t accept at all to have a decorative, caricaturistic nuclear industry which might suggest how things will unfold on 24th of November 2014. But is the nuclear deal more important than defeating ISIS. Yes It is a highly combustible issue and one could debate till the cows come home about Iran’s nuclear ambitions. But surely the stability of Middle East has to take higher priorities. It is not like Iran is like North Korea. Anyway Iran needs the easing of sanctions against her more than anything because it crippling its economy so it is quite possible a equitable compromise could be reached.

Yes this will create huge discord with its partners in the Middle East and already at home Senators John McCann and Lindsay Graham said ''The consequences of this ill-conceived bargain would destroy the Syrians' last, best chance to live in freedom from the brutal Assad regime.'' Also now there is rumbling and whispers of sounds that the US will send more troops to Iraq to fight the menace of ISIS. It may not be Lock Stock and Barrels like in 2003 or the surge of troops in 2007. At present the American forces in Iraq are a shadow of their past and are Emaciated, hence not potent to directly challenge ISIS. But it could very well change soon.

They have already sent an extra 1500 troops as advisors and are involved in a very powerful and precision air campaign which may have either injured or perhaps hoping against hope killed the Caliph Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. If the latter turns out to be true, it will be a huge psychological and political victory for Obama over his detractors. Already General Martin Dempsey has said he might be recommending that American troops fight alongside Iraqi forces to tackle ISIS and retake the city of Mosul or border areas with Syria from ISIS militants. Several experts in strategic affairs and former military officers have written that without proper coordinated ground attack by the Army ISIS cannot be defeated.

Already Iran is deeply involved in this conflict and its top Para Military leader Genral Qasem Soleimani the head of Qods Force until August 2014 is fighting alongside the Kurds Peshmerga forces. Qasem Soleimani is an Enigma which the West is yet to figure out. He is a highly experienced fighter and covert operative and peripatetic believer of Iran’s revolution and the teaching of the Ayatollah. If he is directly involved in the fight against the ISIS, then it is beyond the shadow of doubt how much Iran is invested in this conflict.

In terms of foreign policy shift the letter which President Obama sent to Iran is as significant as the trip by Richard Nixon to China back in 1972 which ensued the beginning of diplomatic ties between these two giants. This letter would have bound to give a conniption fit to America’s allies in the Middle East, Particularly Israel and Saudi Arabia. Tirta Parsi president of the National Iranian American Council rightly wrote an article titled “pen-palling ayatollah” in which he said, Obama has no obligation to seek approval from Israel or Saudi Arabia to send a letter to Iran to advancing America’s security and interests in that region.

In another article Emad Kiyaei Executive Director at American Iranian Council in an article published Foreign Policy blog titled “Americas last best hope for defeating the Islamic state is Iran nuclear talks” wrote that for over 35 years Israel and Saudi Arabia and other regional allies have played spoil sport fearing any “normalization of relations with Tehran will be at the expense of their own strategic relations with Washington.” Also in that article he says “Obama's request to Ayatollah Khamenei for closer cooperation on the fight against IS is an effort to fill that strategic gap -- and indicates a realization that without Tehran's, help the coalition will almost certainly fail.” Plus once relationship established with Iran America can as Iran to leverage Syria and talk to Assad regime as he continues to point out more eloquently.

Iraq’s Shia population is more than the Sunni and that itself is enough for Iran to run to the support of their brethren. Obama has realized this fact which others may disagree and hope for a regime change in Syria and in Iran which has been dream since 1979. But this is not going to happen, at least with Iran. Any deal signed by the US and Iran may get dissolved by the Republican Congress and Senate, maybe that is why Obama is in a hurry before the next session of congress under Republican leadership takes charge. It is quite possible a friendly Iran is not quite Palatable to many influential Americans and Israel has no cause for worry, because their relationship with America runs very deep and let us not forget their powerful lobby.

ISIS is a threat which will spread to other parts of the Middle East. Already news of ISIS’s head rearing in Egypt and Pakistan which is Perfect Cesspool for ISIS to grow and frighteningly close to India with a 200 million Muslim Population could easily be vulnerable to terror attacks and let us not forget Europe. Also ISIS’s ideology is not that different from Saudi Arabia and its cohorts who have been responsible for spreading their brand of Wahabi Islam with their funding.

America and Iran may never fight ISIS side by side for appearance but the inevitable truth is America needs the Involvement of Iran to Fight ISIS and also put more boots on the ground. Also they should take this opportunity to start a dialogue and genuinely try and establish diplomatic relations with each other which would be in their best interest moving forward. Let us not forget Russia under Putin is smarting due to the disintegration of the Soviet Empire. There was a time not long ago when the Russians controlled Persia, who knows if America and Iran establish relations two birds could be countered by one stone.

The fiercest and the most sinister terrorist organisation of our times, namely Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), previously known as Islamic State of Iraq, Syria and the Levant (ISIL), stands reduced in its name to Islamic State (IS). Its terror import has, however, only grown more and more along its bloody course of increasing notoriety as its marauding troops go about committing the most heinous crimes on humanity in the name of God and religion. A ragtag outfit of mercenary foot soldiers from Central Asia, Western and Eastern Europe, the US, Australia, and let us say, practically from all over the world, most of its inductees, estimated to be 80,000-100,000 strong, are wayward youngsters who have gone astray and symbolize the flotsam of the churning of conflicting cultures and contemporary liberal lifestyles in the face of a procrustean value system; the rest of the motley crowd is constituted by hardcore fundamentalist elements. There is also a miniscule minority of wide-eyed greenhorns who have stumbled upon the concept of an apocryphal political, religious and cultural system, a throwback in time and a far cry from today's realities and have pledged their lives to rediscovering the buried and forgotten theological high.

IS believes in striking terror at the heart of humanity which it has managed to do rather successfully thus far by indiscriminately committing dastardly acts on its hapless victims. No respecter of religions (big or small, ancient or modern) other than the faith it espouses, or gender or age, its war machine mercilessly mows down all that comes its way, young or old, men or women. It has no qualms whatsoever about slaying those who resist its attempt to convert, or giving away women prisoners regardless of their age or marital status to its men as slaves or desecrating or razing down places of worship of those who dare challenge its concept of faith. Non-believers whose lives are spared are levied a penalty in the form of a tax. Every family in the occupied territories of Iraq and Syria is mandated to give away a daughter to serve its men. There have been reports of local commanders of IS ordering genital mutilation of the female population in strict conformity with the organization’s interpretation of a moth-eaten religious mandate of a bygone era. It executes people by beheading, stoning and crucifying. The list of its cruel and inhuman diktat is endless. The UN and Amnesty International have accused it of human rights abuses. The UN has warned that the commanders of IS would be held responsible for war crimes.

Amnesty International has found it guilty of ethnic cleansing on a "historic scale."

Source of Strength

With vast swathes of territories in northern and western Iraq and eastern and central parts of Syria under its control, IS has managed to seize and hold on to oil wells and drilling fields. It is thus sitting pretty on humongous oil revenues. In Syria, it has garnered huge sums of money by selling oil from oil wells in the occupied territories to none other than the Syrian government itself to which the oil wells legitimately belong. According to an Iraqi government estimate, IS has assets worth $2 billion, including $429 million looted from the central bank of Mosul, and millions of dollars and gold bullion stolen from other banks in Mosul. By raising vast amounts of money by pillage, it has become the richest jihadist group in the world. It has not only been able to recruit more and more ill-informed youth of low self esteem from across the world but has also been successful in bleeding the already-in-a-shambles economies of the war ravaged Iraq and Syria.

There has, of late, been a worrying trend in the evolution of IS which has declared its ambition of bringing Afghanistan, Pakistan, northern and western parts of India, Bangladesh, Myanmar and lands beyond under its sway. With the impending pull out of its troops by the US from Afghanistan and the perennial political instability prevailing in Pakistan, prospects of the Taliban, Al Qaeda and other jihadist outfits in the region joining forces with IS, flush with hordes of ill-gotten wealth and vast swathes of territories, constitute a distinctly probable threat factor for India and the entire region of South Asia. There have already been indications of Islamic State making forays into Pakistan to garner the support of mercenary and indigenous jihadist elements and homegrown terror outfits. It would be pertinent to bear in mind the fact that Pakistan has turned out, over a period of time, to be a failed state and a veritable wasteland where only rabid fundamentalist and warmongering elements could play an active role in the political process, and people are led to believe that the neighboring India is a threat to its unity and territorial integrity. Such a sorry state of affairs of Pakistan makes it an ideal platform for IS to mount its onslaught against other countries of the region. Besides, there have been reports of a negotiated settlement of differences between IS and the Syrian outfit of Al Qaeda. The prospects of the two powers coming together portend an ill omen and cast an evil shadow on the region's political and economic stability.

Test of Time for India

India should hammer out a well-calibrated foreign policy to counter the threat of the hydra-headed Islamic State and its umpteen homegrown decoy outfits. To this end, it should forge an alliance with its eastern neighbors like Bangladesh and Myanmar. Notwithstanding its border dispute with China, it should be able to factor in at least a limited understanding and cooperation, passive if not active, from that country in the war against the jihadist juggernaut as China has been facing trouble from its own Muslim-majority people of the Xinjiang Uyghur region. The US, with the support of its allies, is already active in pounding the IS troops in Syria and Iraq into oblivion. India, on its part, has to play its rightful role as a regional big power by mobilizing its defense strength to neatly dovetail with its war of diplomacy against global terrorism. PM Modi has already made a flying start by declaring on international fora that terrorism should be delinked from religion with a view to strip off any theological mandate that terrorism claims for its inhuman activities. If any government could successfully rally the people of India in the war and turn the country into a bulwark against terrorism, it is the current nationalist one which enjoys the adulation of the people like never before in the recent past.

Countless eyebrows were raised and lusty chortles let out in the subcontinent over a recent news report on a Nepalese Foreign Ministry spokesman's statement in the context of the SAARC Summit due to be hosted by Kathmandu next week. Briefing the press about the arrangements being put in place for the event, the spokesman informed the vastly amused journalists that Pakistan had turned down India's offer to provide a bullet proof car for the use of their Prime Minister during his visit while all the other participating countries had accepted a similar Indian offer in respect of their leaders. If Pakistan went into a sulking mode and made a spectacle of itself by displaying to the whole world its peevish and churlish attitude by spurning a warm Indian gesture and stating that its Prime Minister would be taking with him their own bullet proof car to the SAARC Summit for his own personal safety, the Indian Prime Minister stood tall in sharp contrast by taking with him his own silver bullet to the G20 Summit at Sydney in the service of the nation. Now, what is this silver bullet all about?

Commitment to End the Black Money Menace

During BJP'S campaign for Lok Sabha elections 2014, the then party President Rajnath Singh thundered that the hoard of black money stashed away in overseas tax havens by errant Indians would be brought back within 100 days. This position had been taken and voiced earlier too by veteran leader L.K.Advani during the 2009 polls. The promise of unearthing black money was echoed this time around practically by every speaker at BJP's campaign meetings. The vast sums of black money parked overseas by recalcitrant tax dodgers would not only be brought home if BJP was voted to power but also put to good use by way of investments in public welfare projects. Lascivious stories of how much the notional share of every Indian citizen of the humongous black money pie would be were bandied about to the thrill and unbridled excitement of ecstatic crowds which lapped up every bit of the stories in the characteristic style of a people who had been thirsting for years for a positive turn of events in public life for the betterment of the nation. Call it naiveté, if you will, as Modi's detractors did. BJP scored a strategic point by calling it an ambitious plan in deference with people's aspiration; and a grateful people, wallowing in low esteem on account of having earlier voted for a non-working government afflicted by policy paralysis, voted BJP to a thundering victory. BJP was called upon to deliver on its promise lest it should be held guilty of flying a hot air balloon.

Action Plan

The very first decision taken by the Modi government on its first day in office was for the formation of a Special Investigation Team to probe into black money. The promptness behind this action was matched by the swiftness with which the government swung into follow up action. Contacts were established with the governments of the tax havens for obtaining information regarding the names of the Indian black money hoarders and the quantum of their booty. While the Government of India managed to wrest the information, it was stopped in its tracks by the caveats with which the information had been provided. The names and related information could be provided by GOI only to a court of law in the event of legal action against specific individuals. Furthermore, since India is a signatory to bilateral agreements on Avoidance of Double Taxation with these countries, the former was hamstrung by constraints imposed by the treaties. Investigations had to be initiated and completed against the persons in the list of black money hoarders and legal action put in place before their names could be made public. Till such time, there was no question of naming and shaming the persons involved in the proceedings.

Nothing could be more frustrating for a government than be unable to pull the rug from under the feet of the opposition parties by revealing the names of tax dodgers and black money hoarders who owe allegiance to those parties.

To the Summit with the Silver Bullet

Such were the circumstances when Narendra Modi proceeded to Brisbane to attend the G20 Summit and managed to get the group to include a certain clause in the final Leaders' Communique which would make it difficult for tax havens to give complete tax exemption to companies. This assertion, complemented by the group's endorsement of a Global Common Reporting Standard for automatic exchange of tax information on a reciprocal basis, constitutes the silver bullet which would enable the Modi government to fight the specter of black money at home with international cooperation. Modi's strong pitch at the summit against black money and offer of India's backing for all initiatives for exchange of information and mutual assistance in tax policy and administration were welcomed by a receptive audience, with the summit host and Australian PM Tony Abbot vowing a crackdown on tax evasion by MNCs and seeking intense cooperation from the G20 countries in this regard.

Sharpshooter on the Trail of Black Money

Armed with the 'Made in India' silver bullet and the backing of the Group of 20, the Modi government is out to get the specter of black money and apprehend the anti-national elements who have thus far had their halcyon days with ineffective governments at home and non-cooperative governments abroad. Indeed, tough times are in store for the law breakers, with Modi the Sharpshooter with the silver bullet hot on their trail!

What happened in Haryana yesterday was a sad case of a state government’s inability to execute a court order because the man in question, a so called Saint Rampal has over the years as cultivated such strong political connection and influence, it would prove highly counterproductive for the state to go after him from a political point of view. But in their inaction people got hurt, journalists got attacked by a rabid police for doing their jobs and the Godless Rampal still remains strong in his armed compound. Yesterday’s incident brought back some dark memories for me because back in 1984 the Indian military by force took over the holiest religious spot for the Sikhs the Golden Temple. Now to equate both incidents will be a huge injustice, but what led to the flood of memories was the lives that were lost that day and the thought of the same might happen again. But the onus is on the current state government led by the BJP under the astute leadership of Manohar Lal Khattar but that does not mean the Congress Party could wipe its hand clean off this mess.

Men like Rampal are dime a dozen in India and with just few thousand followers one can wield significant clout and make a mockery of the law. Now to compare cult leader like Rampal to other Hindu religious figure or as a matter of fact any Evangelical person belonging to any religion would be grossly unfair because they do not put the lives of innocent people at risk and do not have the impunity to fire guns at security forces. Many have spent their entire lives helping mankind. But what transpired in Hissar Haryana was one man’s ability to hold the state hostage and show to the world that if anyone in India has small slice of power he could render the politicians who by their own compulsion make the police and other law enforcement agencies Impotent. And as of now Sant Rampal an absconder from justice is still hiding in his lair.

People not in only in India but across the world have fallen victims to men like Rampal who are gifted sociopaths and since a lot of vested interest also comes along when you know someone like them, it is only natural to come to their defense. These cult leaders can get a politician a ticket to fight election or help people get cushy government postings. The possibilities are limitless!

Who can forget how much trouble and interference the police had to face when they had to arrest Asaram Bapu and his son who were on the run after charges of rape and murder was filed against them. Enough state security resources were used which could have tracked down even Bin Laden but our police who sadly under the whims of our politicians who often collude with people like Asaram allowed him and his son Narayan Sai to remain free from the clutches of the law for a long time. Why, because they are living breathing vote bank and appallingly politicians in their quest to solidify power, influence and their position allow people like these to flourish while they spread their lecherous tentacles over society.

This problem is not exclusive to India, over the years many such figures have left an indelible mark on society and the wake of victims that they left behind. America is one such country which has witnessed many such men who call themselves Prophets like Mass Murderer Jim Jones, David Koresh of Waco Texas incident and Warren Jeffs a convicted pedophile and leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS Church) which practices polygamy. And in India who can forget Swami Premananda who was given life imprisonment for raping scores of women? Sant Swami Bhimanand Ji Maharaj Chitrakoot Wale was running the oldest trade in the world, Prostitution. One could go on and one about these sociopaths who take advantage of weak innocent minds for their guilty pleasure.

Shard Pawar, the leader of NCP and outside supporter of BJP in Maharashtra, through the cat among pigeons when he said the stability of BJP government in Maharashtra was not his party's responsibility even as Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis asserted it was stable and hoped Shiv Sena would join it according to Press Trust of India .If a survey is held today, Sharad Pawar will most probably be voted as most distrusted politician in India because this man is all about collision and sabotage. And now he plans to as the Americans euphemism would go “Pull a fast one on BJP” by throwing his political monkey wrench by withdrawing support.

He has so far managed to play brilliant politics and it has worked out beautifully for him, his family and his cohorts. If bets are made who will come out on top or survive in Indian politics, Sharad Pawar is a sure winner. But the question is for how long? When he announced his party support for BJP it created a great confusion, especially with the Shiv Sena who had broken away from the BJP and were involved in some serious mudslinging against Narendra Modi during the campaign. This course of action did not pan out for the Shiv Sena and to make matter worse, Uddhav Thackeray’s hollow threat and at the same time cajoling BJP only proved he should never sit in high stakes poker table and bluff.

Anyway Sharad Pawar latest salvo might go against him because this could be the last time when he may have jumped into bed with the wrong party. His call for “Snap Election in Maharashtra” could blow on his face because the people in the great state of Maharashtra are just tired of lack of work done by the government and the corruption riddled rule of Congress and NCP for the last 15 years. Remember Modi has the power to give more funding to Maharashtra for development propose and if he does that it means more jobs. What then? But it seems Mr. Pawar who is a master anticipator must have figured out something which no else has.

At this very moment Shiv Sena is licking its wounds and thinking what in the hell went wrong, but unfortunately it is a party led a by a leader who is devoid of ideas. Uddhav Thackeray is like one of those film makers who once latch on to a formula, never give up and try to milk as must success as possible. Anyway what Sharad pawar may try to do is call for a vote of no confidence any time he feels that the government will start investigating him and his cohorts and then BJP will have no choice but to hope the Shiv Sena to support them. Which means they will have to concede to their demands, and in turn cause discontentment in BJP ranks? Maybe few BJP legislators might have to give up their ministry which in politics would be like trying to take a bone away from a dog.

He wants to ensure a total breakdown of BJP in Maharashtra because he knows that the current government headed by Narendra Modi is right now concentrating its energy in Jammu and Kashmir and it would be very difficult for them to kick start political campaign in Maharashtra again. If the government falls he will call for snap elections because he already knew his party the NCP and congress will fare poorly in the elections which were held few weeks back. This means he calculated a fractured mandate; hence he kept aside his political capital for fresh elections in the state. Which leads to only one conclusion, Sharad Pawar is a man with no allegiance but to him. He the politician personified and everything which people hate about politician because he will go to great lengths to create discord, dysfunction and confusion among voters because he needs to stay in power.

Abundant articles are written and published on the internet about the recent bulk leak of celebrity images hacked through iCloud. Internet is inundated with such images shot in the bed rooms started bedding room for shy-enough-to-peep-into types. From Elizabeth Hurley to Jenifer Aniston, all have done this to gain kitsch popularity. Pamela Anderson also came into limelight when she celebrated her birthday in a nature suit (read Naked), consequently she had to join the Save-The-Animal movement by getting photo shoot for Peta. Red Carpet parties and Award Ceremonies witness the most wardrobe malfunction during the shoot-me-in-your-lens moments by the shutterbugs. This is an open secret that technology is befriended to create buzz out of ass-sertive images of celebrities.

This issue has been beautifully shown in a Bollywood flick named ‘Heroin’ where the protagonist wants to get out of the stigma of fiasco releases a video of intimate moments shared with one of the contemporary stars. The video goes viral and she capitalizes the crafted opportunity. A lot of Hollywood actresses keep posting some of their best SHOTS on Twitter. The modern 140 characters based micro blogging site has become a soft-porn-target for celebrities of late. Earlier, it seemed that Twitter is made for celebrity and later on descended to the political fraternity as well. We see Poonam Pandey, to some extent a public figure, a popular model befriended Twitter again to create a spectacle of ‘selfiable’ bod-shots. ‘Breaking the Internet’ created a buzz, but Kim earlier has done the same damage to Internet demonstrating the oiled rump for Victoria’s Secret.

Kirsten Dunst became the latest victim of iCloud embezzlement which made her a little bit more popular, personally. Internet once more was laden with ‘Thank You iCloud’ messages. Once Apple of All Eyes became the Apple of Discord for some and to majority it still holds the Apple of All Eyes position. The scholarly old loonies might call the actions eccentric but a lot of various groups are making money out of it. Thousands of bloggers write about it making mole of a mountain-oh wrong use, let be it! Social media sites make money out of it by helping people chat about it and share as much details as possible backed by mobile apps which shares the images and videos for no cost. Soft porn gets social in seconds. Youngsters get to know the Ins and outs of their beloved celebrities sans going for any paid subscriptions. Hence, it’s a win-win situation for all be it the celebrity who agreed for this or the management company who assisted in the instant spread of the art tagged with hundreds of practicing online writers. Not to forget Google Glass is yet to be exploited. Watch out for more….Shortly.

Even before the rave party hosted by Australia's Tony A. for the group of twenty kids who go by the collective name of G20 (some big, some small, some in glad rags, others in threadbare hand-me-downs but all come for free booze, wild music, exotic food and juicy snippets of the latest gossip) aboard the Brisbane vessel, was truly over, a petulant Putin left in a huff, slamming the door shut! My, my, now who bullied poor Volodya to make him leave for home, all red in the face, even before the party was over?

Russian Roulette, Anyone?

Why, it was none other than Angie M. who was making a habit of harrying the boys! Volodya dear only wanted to play in his Ukrainian backyard, didn't he? Granted, he wanted to do so all by himself and pushed his poor Ukrainian cousins a bit. Why make such a big deal out of it? It was, after all, his backyard, not Angie's. Nor were the cousins hers, kissing or not. Don't we all push our poor cousins around a bit once in a while lest they should feel left out of all the action and fun? Could Volodya's cousins play, pray tell me, the Russian Roulette? No! If you don't understand Russian sports, whose fault is it? Do they have a belt, apart from the one which they keep tightening all the time and especially on wintry days, let alone a black one to match Volodya's? You are right, no again! Angie doesn't understand Volodya's concern for the health of his poor cousins who may develop, he was afraid, a horrid squint and a stiff neck, looking West all the time, and run the risk of dying some day of lead poisoning.

Cake and Pie

A much misunderstood guy, our Volodya, could be heard muttering under his breath while leaving the party, that he would be perfectly happy with his Ukrainian pie if Angie and her gang grudged him a piece of the G20 cake. As a matter of fact, he was angling for both the cake and the pie, as he recalled with a smile on his face like the Cheshire Cat. Well, so what if he had lost the battle of Brisbane? You win some and lose some. It happens with people all the time, doesn't it? Thank God or Marx or whoever, the Ukrainian campaign was still on! What was important was that he would show them all that he was no push over!

Trying to Bully No-nonsense Naren

Remember what Angie told our own Naren the other day about his hiding the German book in the class? After all, it was his own book, wasn't it? He has to catch up with his Sanskrit homework too which he had been neglecting for some time now. Besides, studying German all the time allows him no time to play (in his backyard!) and makes him a dull boy.

Why is Angie such a 'spielverderber' (spoilsport in German, for the uninitiated) and a party-pooper? Growing up fast, is she? Rather big for her shoes, did you say? Hmm.... An interesting thought, no doubt!

Ganging Up against V.

Now, let us get back to Volodya before he starts feeling more and more neglected. Besides being bullied by Angie, Volodya had a couple of brats who preferred to swear in German after downing German Lager to swearing in Russian after gulping Russian Vodka, ganging up against Volodya. Like Barry O', from the US, Steve H. from Canada, and David C. from the UK who sported an indifferent attitude and saw to V's left, right and even through him but never at him. When Volodya confronted them with a feigned bonhomie and his famous steely handshake, they all grimaced and told him "Get out of the U. backyard". These were the very same kids who, along with Angry Angie black-balled him from their 'fishing-in-troubled-waters', 'pass-the-democracy', 'anything-goes-for-oil', 'no-carbon-emissions-in-third world-countries' and 'no-nuclear-power-to-non-allies' games. They had spread canards like Volodya was no respecter of established rules and played games by his own rules. What they didn't understand was why Volodya couldn't go to the distant shores of the Gulf, Africa or Asia and play his wild game of 'shoot-and-loot' like they all did from time to time. Such a reckless game couldn't be allowed in a European backyard, no matter how desultory it was, was their unanimous opinion.

Take a Dig and Drink Bloody Mary

Now at the Brisbane bash, Angie was seen cribbing that much more needed to be done to chastise Volodya who didn't at all seem upset by their boycott. "This won't do," she repeatedly told those within earshot, shaking her well-coiffured head. Volodya ignored the short shrift and remained unshaken unlike his martini which he liked "shaken, not stirred". He had a certain 'bond'ing like the other tough guy from London, with whom he shared interests in fast cars and fast women. When he saw the ice maiden Angie taking a dig at his name and said she didn't see why he was called PUTin when all he did was puttin' people out, he raised his glass to her and mumbled the words "Bloody Mary to you too".

Bloody Nose

As the evening seemed to grow longer and interminable, he became wistful of his Russian Vodka. Stifling a yawn, he told all those who cared to listen, "Well, it has been a long day. Wanna go home and catch up with the Vodka session with my best pal Dima (short form for Dmitry, for the uninitiated)," making it sound like "Well, I have a long way to go home and want to catch up with lost sleep before I get ready to go bully my poor cousins of U. Monday morning." His "Good bye" was greeted by a chorus of "Good riddance" from all around, which was the last straw that broke the camel's back. A petulant Volodya left the burning decks of the Brisbane Titanic for the 'cold' comfort at home, slamming the door of the banquet hall on his way out, hoping to give somebody a bloody nose.

The wise warrior ducks to meet his enemy up a dark alley on a moonless night. - Ancient Russian saying

Politicians are the only breed of people who can say some of the most ridiculous, slanderous, scandalous and at times downright debatable statement and get away with it in India. On the contrary, if a common man says anything which brings a tinge of bitterness in the mouth of overtly sensitive palate then all hell breaks loose, bones are crushed, public property destroyed and unnecessary cases are filed for in India our politicians know how to dish it out but petulant when criticized. Samajwadi Party is one political party known for making crude, snide and outrageous statements and the latest one made by Azam Khan is an absolute height of egregiousness and mockery of Indian Sensitivities. Azam Khan is an embodiment of obnoxious eccentricity.

The man is perfect candidate to stand on top of a soap box and just rant without thinking. His latest salvo to make Taj Mahal a proud Monument of India become the property of the Waqf board since it is a tomb in which two Muslims are buried. Though we in India consider the Taj as a national treasure but even if we let this silly diatribe slide but the next comment was a slap on the face of all Indians. When asked the question how the birthday celebration of Samajwadi Supremo Netaji Mulayam Singh Yadav was being financed? His answer “it is being funded by the Taliban and Dawood Ibrahim.” Now in his defense he thinks it was just a joke. But to all those who lost their lives in 1993 Mumbai blast in which hundreds died, somehow it will not bring joy to anyone’s face. And to top it all he dragged Taliban, a group sworn to destroy our nation. Also tonight @9 the entire nation will bear the brunt of Arnub Goswami who will tear into which ever poor soul representing Samajwadi Party and it would be fun to see what creative defense they come up with justifying Azam Khan’s insightful remarks and the funds to celebrate a politician’s birthday at the expense of Tax payers.

A while back Jaya Bachchan the esteemed actor and leading politician of Samajwadi Party made a very poignant remark that politicians should not be subject to ridicule and satire and Arnub Goswami had a field day and led a very amorous discussion on his show. But would Jaya Bachchan, our representative to our upper house (Rajya Sabha), or back room entry for politicians who do not have the ability to win elections agree the statement made by Azam Khan was grossly inappropriate. Or the proverbial right of our politicians to say anything applies here or I was misquoted and the media blow it out of proportion will be applied.

Either way he will get away, but after gathering the wits of reasoning, I am glad Azam Khan made this outrageous remark in the forefront of Mulayam Singh Yadav’s birthday celebration and lest we forget one of the attraction will be the special horse drawn ‘Victorian buggy' hired from London in which His Highness, The Venerable Leader of people Mulayam Singh Yadav will travel and gently wave his hand to the masses and forgetting all the problems faced by the most populous state in India. Instead of solving the problems of law and order in Utter Pradesh they will cut a 75 foot long obnoxiously extravagant cake while many in the state sleep in hungry slumber. We must be grateful to a apathetic person like Azam Khan who makes us look foolish and hopefully it would wake our inner conscious and never allow someone like him or his party of egregious leaders be elected ever again.

Southern Nepal is turning abattoir with around 5 million people visiting the most revered Gadhimai temple in the town of Bariyarpur. The city is rejoicing the carnival type atmosphere that lasts for a month and happens every five years. The place is near Indo-Nepal border in the district of Bara. The religious event witnesses some 200,000 animal sacrifice within a month and the sacrifice includes Buffaloes, Goats, Rats, Pigs and Pigeons.

In 2009, Nepal created history with some 200,000 animal slaughtered in the region that included 20,000 Buffaloes offered to the altar of the goddess of power. Devotees rush to the temple from far off places and some have to even travel hours to reach the place just to offer their animals to the butcher. The reason for the oblation is sustaining peace in the family and getting wishes fulfilled. The ritual of animal oblation commences with some blood is offered by the priest of the temple as a green signal to the religious carnage. This gory part of the festival has become or becomes every year the reason for some animal lovers to protest. Since social media is a common tool to hold protest and add participants these days have taken it to a greater height where citizens of the world raise their voice against the barbarism.

Change.org has requested people to sign a petition to stop the killing. The festival which saw some 200,000 animals being put to death was said to have been sponsored by the Nepal Government. If we see and look up the pages of the most sacred books of Hindu religion ‘Vedas’, we will not notice a single couplets or chapter that talks about the killing of animals for the sake of prosperity and peace. Though, the origin of animal sacrifice is unknown till date, but it prevails in the Hindu society be it southern or northern part of India. Its is existing!

Southern part of India also see blood on all the major religious places in the month of October as Ayudha Puja which is also known as Dussera is celebrated with hundreds of animal meeting their dark destiny in the name of religion. Killing of animal is a crime under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 and also it’s violation under the Section 428 and 429 of Indian Penal Code. “God is the creator of all living beings, then why we satisfy our gods with the blood of innocent animals who cannot even fight to save their lives”, says Dhirendra Verma, co-founder of UtheStory.

UtheStory team urges to all the human beings and Hindus to stand against the mass killing of Animals in the name of religion.

The Indian cricket selectors came out with the list of 30 probable’s for the 2015 world cup to be held in Australia and New Zealand and the big names of the last world cup Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh, Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh were missing as per latest report from NDTV. Sehwag and Zaheer are both 36 years old and this is perhaps the end of the road of their illustrious career. On the other hand the Most Valuable Player of the 2011 world cup Yuvraj Singh’s form has been choppy and both Harbhajan Singh and Gautam Gambhir also do not have much to show for this year.

This would not have been an easy decision for the selectors to make however the final list has been released and one can even call it an end of an era when two of the world’s most explosive batsmen Virender Sehwag and Yuvraj Singh who had the unique ability to take on any attack and make mincemeat of them will never play in a cricket world cup tournament ever again. All the five players were integral part of the team for many years and featured in the victories of 2007 T20 World Cup and and 2011 World Cup for limited over International. Cricket and in general sports can be cruel mistress and if it can give a player name and recognition it can also dealt a blow of rejection to the best.

Virender Sehwag played 104 test scoring 8586 runs and in one day cricket he played 251 matches scoring 8273 runs. He is the only Indian player to have scored two triple hundreds in test matches and second player to score a triple hundred in a one day match after Sachin Tendulkar. He played the game with no fear but sadly his hand eye coordination gave up on him which was his strength.

Zaheer Khan played 92 tests matched for India taking 311 wickets often bowling in batsmen friendly wickets. In limited over matches he played 200 games taking 282 wickets and was the senior fast bowler of the team for many years.

Harbhajan Singh played 101 test matches taking 413 wickets which the third highest and in 229 one day internationals he took 259 wickets making him one of all time greats of the game. He is also a very good batsmen batting down the order and even scored 2 hundreds.

Yuvraj Singh was in many people’s opinion the best one day cricketer of India has ever produced. His strokes looked effortless and who can forget the six sixes he hit of Stuart Broad in the inaugural T20 World Cup which India won. Yuvraj Singh played 40 tests marches and scored 1900 runs which have left many cricket pundits bewildered because of his talent. But in the ODI’s he played in 293 matches and scored 8329 runs making him an all time great. A useful part time bowler and one the best fielders India had ever produced because in many matches he had taken some breathtaking catches. A real fighter who even over came cancer and made a comeback. Though he will not be part of this team, it would be foolish to write him off.

Gautam Gambhir can be called one of the best opening batsmen in test and oneday cricket for India. He played in 54 tests match’s scoring 4012 at an average of 44.18 and in limited over matches he played in 147 games scoring 5238 runs with an enviable average of 39.68. But bad form has kept this south paw out of this team over a year now and he played a very crucial knock of 97 runs in the finals against Sri Lanka in 2011 and he also scored 75 runs against Pakistan in the 2007 inaugural T20 world cup.

Telangna CM Plans Ayutha Chandi Yaga and Former Uttarakhand CM Pokhriyal declare India was first country to conduct Nuclear Tests Lakhs of years ago and Astrology is bigger than science.

I woke up this morning a little bit late and as usual my net was on and when I pressed the button on my trusty lap top it immediately letup my room with its incandescent light. As usual I checked the news appearing in all major Indian newspapers and online journals and then came across two articles which caught my fancy. One article was in the Times of India and the other in Hindustan Times. The article in TOI was about the impending mass ritual to be conducted by the first Chief Minister of Telangna K Chandrasekhar Rao who has used astrology which comes as no surprise since many politicians do in this country. The ritual he plans to perform is the Ayutha Chandi Yaga which would basically would make him invincible to his enemies and help tame them. Now who are his enemies is totally different question.

The second news piece which caught my eye was the declaration made my former CM of Uttarakhand Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank of BJP who said with all conviction and sincere believe that India was the first country on earth to conduct nuclear tests. In a quote which he gave to Indian Express he said “Today we are talking about nuclear tests. Lakhs of years ago, Sage Kanad had conducted a nuclear test. Our knowledge and science do not lack anything.” Now there is no denial that as a nation India has contributed a lot to science after all we gave the world “ZERO” the most important number which is used in computer coding. But what surprised me was the claim that we conducted a nuclear test “Lakhs of years ago” which basically denigrates modern science about the existence of Humans on earth maybe a million years ago.

I am a proud Indian and also equally proud of our ancient and rich culture and the achievements and contributions which we made to science which I personally think has not received its due share. Most people think it is the Greeks who gave the world science and philosophy and yes they did but we also gave quite a lot. The only problem I see is maybe we are not very good at Public Relations. Maybe we need to do a better job letting the world know about out scientific contributions. The Vedas and Puranas are full of eternal knowledge and is a philosophical guide if one would take time to understand it. The Bhagwat GIta which eminent physicist Robert Oppenheimer often used was perhaps its outmost patron of modern times. Just go to Google and type “Now I am become death” and the name of Dr Oppenheimer and Bhagavad Gita will be the top search results.

But in all this glory and proud history of our country, I wonder is it really necessary to perform a Yaga to vanquish ones enemy or tame them in politics because what I personally think with all due respect and significance for Yaga is this. All a politician has to do is run a clean and effective administration and help bring changes into the lives of people. If politicians do that then they will never lose an election and in politics it is all about winning elections. Holding a long and elaborated ritual which will last for 10 days nonstop serves the purpose of extinguishing one’s own insecurities and paranoia but it does nothing for the citizenry at large. Also it would be fare to assume a lot of state funds could be used to fulfill one man’s wishes to become invincible. Alas in politics there is no such thing as being invincible and having the power to tame ones enemy because even the mightiest fall someday.

People believe in astrology and there is nothing wrong in that but it would be foolish to think it is ahead of science as claimed by Ramesh Pokhriyal. By saying astrology as more significance to science it is tantamount to insulting the likes of Aryabhata, Brahmagupta and Bh?skara who have made our lives rich with knowledge in the field of mathematics and science. To even think, we as a nation existed hundreds of thousand years ago without any empirical evidence is an insult to our intelligence which would drive most Indian scientist to shame.

They say science is all about rediscovery and the path of rediscovery still and maybe will remain infinite and also somethings will remain a mystery and could only be discussed at a philosophical level. The power of ancient knowledge and rituals is what makes our country unique and attractive. Hinduism is a religion which never really believed in evangelical propagation like other religions do to increase its numbers, but still it is one of the fastest growing religions in the world and in its Abstract form lies the true meaning of life, nature and our cosmos in general. The Yagnas are nothing but tools to connect with our inner self and Mother Nature. It is not a tool to tame enemies and maybe the true enemy of Telangna CM K Chandrasekhar Rao are the very People who bestow their trust on him to make their lives better and if history has taught us anything people can only be ever tamed with love and the sincere dedication to serve them especially in a democracy. To Mr. Pokhriyal no one and even I will ever dispute the importance of Astrology but it will be adark road to travel if our sole faith is on something which can never be quantified. Astrology is a believe and to some extent science but never true science and maybe something’s should be better left un-understood and let the divine cosmic power shape our future.

Remember what Lord Krishna told Arjuna on the eve of the Battle of Mahabharata “Karmanye Vadhikaraste, Ma phaleshou kada chana, Ma Karma Phala Hetur Bhurmatey Sangostva Akarmani.” Do your duty and never worry about the result, if ye work was honest ye will be rewarded. If Chandrasekhar Rao does his duty with outmost sincerity he will be the victor and by looking into the future to see what rewards awaits Mr. Pokhriyal he countermands the basic tenants of Gita. Not that it has or will ever stop people from consulting astrologers but if our dear politicians decided to spend more time solving the problems of the masses then their future in politics is guaranteed.

While speaking recently at a meeting at Jagdishpur, a village in his Lok Sabha constituency, Amethi, Rahul Gandhi, the ever-in-waiting PM candidate of the Congress party, announced that he was adopting the villge under a model village scheme. While making the announcement, Rahul tried to take a dig at the PM who had propounded the scheme, by asking the assembled villagers as to where funds for their wishlist of forty odd development projects would come from. All he succeeded in achieving in the process was to betray his lack of knowledge of the dynamics of the scheme and the resources available to an MP for its implementation. Needless to say, the bewildered audience became disappointed over their parliamentary representative's cynicism and disregard for their plight. Wasn't he expected to sit with his constituents, work out the viability of the projects they were interested in and figure out a way of implementing them? Was it not what his job was all about? In short, if he was clueless, as indeed admitted by him by implication, as to how to get the development schemes carried out, why was he an MP at all? Why didn't he go home with his excess baggage of pessimism and leave it all for a better person to take over? Rahul was once again clueless, this time about his constituents' bewilderment over his befuddled approach to his role as a people's representative.

In the Mould of Super CMs

Not to be left far behind in a similar state of bewilderment as Rahul is our own irrepressible Chief Minister of Telengana, who is apparently clueless about the ways and means to become a popular Chief Minister. K.Chandrasekhara Rao, called KCR by his partymen in the popular mode of NTR and MGR, cinematic hero-turned-super Chief Ministers whose lengthy names had been reduced to cryptic initials by their fans in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu respectively, is peeved over his inability to become a darling of the masses in his state in the same way as NTR and MGR had in their time. His populist measures like increasing the pension amount from Rs.200 to Rs.1,000 has not cut much ice with the people. On the contrary, much to his chagrin and discomfiture, the number of suicides in the state among farmers and pensioners seems to be on the rise.

Action Plan for the Right Image

Surely, there must be a secret formula to the success of NTR and MGR, which one must be able to identify, unravel and put to good use for ensuring KCR's unbridled popularity. Rao's team of advisers put their heads together and came up with an action plan for creating the right image for their leader. Let it be known, they averred, that the people's leader is all for purity in his official as well as private lives. Isn't white the colour of purity? Besides, Rao's astrologers had advised that white was his lucky colour. So, clad he must be in white all the time! As a course correction measure suggested by astrologers, KCR got all the official cars of his convoy which were originally black in colour, repainted white. Again, in conformity with the advice of the astrologers, he shifted the Begumpet camp office of his party to vastu-compliant building next doors.

Numerology for Good Luck

Not prepared to bank only on the astrologers' advice, KCR has been trying out the next point on the action plan, namely, numerology for good luck. His lucky number being 6, he has got 6 cars in his convoy, the registration number of all of which is TS 09 6666.

While fighting elections for Lok Sabha and the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh Assembly in 2004 and 2009, he bargained for and wangled off 6 Lok Sabha seats and 42 (4+2=6) Assembly seats, both times. It is, of course, a different thing that in 2004 his party entered into an electoral alliance with Congress and in 2009 with TDP. To make not too fine a point, KCR was not averse to fighting elections with different alliance partners in different elections. Never mind the mismatch in ideological alignment! The number of seats alloted to his party must, however, be in strict alignment with numerology!

When his party formed the government in 2014 in the newly-formed state of Telengana, his Cabinet included 12 ministers (multiple of 6). Numerology, again!

Beseeching Divine Intervention

Despite his scrupulous adherence to the action plan of his advisors, astrology and numerology have not been of much help to KCR who has his sights set now on divine intervention, no less. He is now convinced that he needs 'invincible powers' to vanquish his enemies and overcome all obstacles. To this end, he is preparing for a mega religious event, 'Ayutha Chandi Yaga', an ancient and elaborate ritual performed in the olden days by kings and practically unheard of in the modern times. The Yaga includes rituals like 'Shatru Samhara' and 'Rajavashikarana'. The logistics planned for the event to be held in February next year, are far too elaborate. 1,000 sacrificial fire pits (Yajna kund) are being built in KCR'S farmhouse in Medak district. 1,000 priests from Sringeri and other places will chant 700 mantras 10,000 times non-stop over a period of 10 days and offer oblation in the sacrificial fire pits to propitiate Goddess Durga.

The Yaga is expected to bestow on the one commissioning the event invincible powers by the use of occult science in which mystical energy and tantric powers are used to control and regulate other people's minds, thoughts and actions. This uncommon Yaga has been performed by very individuals like former Prime Ministers Indira Gandhi, Deve Gawda and Rahul Gandhi in living memory.

Faith in Religion

That the right of a private individual to practise his religion is enshrined in the Indian Constitution is stating the obvious. Faith in a religion on the part of any citizen is understandable and calls for respect from all quarters in our secular set up. What is not comprehensible is the utter insensitivity on the part of a political leader, who leads a State of composite cultures and religions, performing such an elaborate ritual in a fly-in-the-face fashion for a period of as many as ten days at what must turn out to be a stupendous cost. Add to the cost, which would hopefully be borne by Mr.Rao and or his party, the elaborate logistic arrangements including security and traffic, as also the unquantifiable time and energy which would be spent on the event by the state machinery. The sheer numbers involved are staggering and may be termed infructuous.

Why the Yaga?

And what is the purpose of the Yaga? The Chief Minister's office and party would have us believe that the Yaga is not being held for the benefit of KCR but for seeking God's grace and blessings for the newly-formed State of Telengana. They point out that the government's populist schemes are failing to strike a chord with the masses but are used by KCR's political opponents as a stick to beat him with. Their leader has, therefore, chosen to seek God's grace and blessings for the nascent State!

If at all the Yaga is being held for seeking divine blessings for the State, why the rituals which seek to bestow on an individual 'invincible powers' by the use of occult science in which mystical energy and tantric powers are used to control and regulate other people's minds, thoughts and actions? Is the claim that the Yaga is for seeking divine blessings for the State a ruse for defraying the expenditure of the proposed event from the state exchequer?

Clue and Solution

Again, is the people's leader seeking such overarching powers to fight IS or Al Qaeda, or maybe both the terrorist outfits put together, single handedly? If he is only thinking in terms of remaining in power for the remainder of his tenure and winning the next round of elections, why seek 'invincible powers' sought by ancient rulers who were locked in mortal combats with their enemies? In a democracy like India, you only have political opponents and rivals but no enemies. The sooner this fundamental truth sinks in at the right quarters, the better for prevalence of sanity in politics! If Rahul and Rao are clueless about the link which once connected them with the people missing, they only have to search their hearts for a clue and reach out to the people. Vox populi, vox Dei!

Another day another white cop escapes justice after a Grand Jury found Officer Daniel Pantaleo not guilty of killing 43 year old Eric Garner who is a father of six children. This has outraged the black community and New York is facing protest by African Americans and any other citizen who felt outrage with this outcome of the grand jury. When charges were filed against Officer Daniel Pantaleo many people thought justice would finally be served since the entire incident was videotaped by a bystander. One can clearly see Mr. Garner was not armed and yes he was upset and angry, but at no point did he or his actions posed any threat to any of the police officers present there.

This is all a microcosm of events which started a few months back when Michael Brown an unarmed African American teenager in Ferguson Missouri was shot by a white police officer. Since then a twelve year old boy named Tamir Rice was also shot by Timothy Loehmann a cop judged unfit for duty back in 2012 in Cleveland Ohio. The boy was holding a gun which looked real and did not have the orange seal which would mean it is a fake gun but was shot immediately by the Officer Loehmann when he arrived at the scene. Now after reading the reports with regard to the fatal shooting of Michael Brown and the conflicting eye witness account, one could maybe side with grand jury decision, acquitting Officer Darren Wilson. But in the case of Eric Garner it is very difficult to understand how the police officer involved in chocking this man to death was allowed to walk when enough video footage was made available for the jury to see.

In the video one can see clearly Eric Garner was a large man but in absolutely no physical shape to resist the police officers. But then one can site hindsight and time to analyze the incident. But still was it necessary to put so much pressure on a man who looked like he will be out of breath in a few moments if he had continued shouting. He did not charge the police officers nor did he try to strike them when they grappled him. All he said was “I Can’t Breathe” which has now become another lexicon right after “hands Up.” It seems every time a black person is stopped by the police he or she must desist from moving and immediately get on their knee with their hands behind their back and start praying, maybe then the chances of getting shot or chocked to death should get minimized. But the way things are going in America, maybe that is aiming a little too high. We all want respect but what happens when a particular race of people are constantly under scrutiny and their self respect is regularly violated. How would that effect them at a psychological level should be beyond the comprehension for many people unless they are a minority and suffer from all kinds of bigotry.

A Police Officer asks a man to get his license and registration, the man cordially complies and then when he turns his back to get the papers he gets tasered. Another footnote of police excess which will get swiped under the carpet. The protest which is going on in America right now is the festering but unspoken problem called Race Relations and even after so many years it exist in the streets, alleys and towns all across the United States of America. To the politicians, this subject is as dangerous as handling plutonium and not enough discussions and a desire for consciences outreach has been made.

It seems the Montgomery Bus Boycott of 1955, the March to Washington by Martin Luther King in 1963 and the Selma to Montgomery marches have no meaning and as if progress was never made. America elected its first mixed race African American as its President which is a big achievement but the dream Dr. King had for all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics and in hindsight Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual: Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last.

Visitors time, folks! Look who is coming to town. Barack Obama, ardent believer of the aerial bombarding doctrine in preference to the boots-on-the- ground one of his august predecessors, closely on the heels of Vladimir Putin, great proponent of the take-it-if-you-like-it theory, successfully put to experiment in Georgia and Ukraine. Watch it all on the telly, for you are going to get nowhere near the places of visit by the VVIPs for reasons of security, theirs and, to some extent, yours.

Obama will be in Delhi on 25 and 26 January 2015 as Chief Guest at India's Republic Day celebrations much to the consternation of the Sitaram Yechuris who are lamenting that India would become subservient to the US interests and miss a golden opportunity of becoming a leader of developing countries, by inviting the US President! By making such sound bites, Indian Communist leaders are demonstrating how much they are out of sync with the reality of the current world-wide political situation.

Lord Master and Protector of the Great Russian people, wherever they live on the globe, Putin is descending on the tenth of this month on a two-day visit. In contrast to a war-weary Obama, suffering from a nasty heartburn and diagnosed with acid reflux and therefore unlikely to be plied with dhoklas, theklas and other assorted Gujarati delicacies by his Indian host, Putin is coming with a good appetite, congenial for doing business with India. Putin will have a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Modi and is expected to sign a few agreements on investment by ONGC in Russia in the energy sector and direct trade in diamonds and the setting up of a diamond trade hub in Mumbai. He will also address a joint session of the Parliament. India, on its part, has already announced that it will not be a party to Western sanctions, against Russia. The ground rules for the visit have been laid.

PM Modi will have serious and meaningful dialogue with the Russian visitor on matters of mutual interest, including the global threat of terrorism, both within the two countries and their respective neighborhoods. It is noteworthy that both the leaders have strong views on terrorism and the modalities for rooting out the evil.

Both India and Russia have suffered for long by terrorism of the Islamic militants. Putin has gone on record, voicing his downright disapproval of calls for Sharia law in his country. He minced no words when he stated that it was the minorities who needed Russia and not the other way round. He was, therefore, categorical in his declaration that those who wanted Sharia law could go wherever it was practiced, making it more than clear that there was no room for fundamentalists and separatist elements in his country. A meeting ground for Russia's Putin and former PM of Australia, Julia Gillard! India has been, on its part, suffering terrorism silently and fighting it single-handedly. Our political leaders, especially the past ones, and sections of the Media which identify themselves with liberal thinking, have been fighting shy of identifying the root cause of terrorism, namely religious fundamentalism of the Islamic militants, both from across the border and the homegrown. We could, on this count, learn a lesson or two from Putin.

There has recently been uproar in the Indian Parliament and political circles in the country about the language used by Union Minister Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti against the self-avowed secularists who fail to take cognizance of the Islamic fundamentalism in the context of the forthcoming elections in Delhi. The opposition parties attacked the Minister, made a cause célebrè of her statement and demanded her removal from her post. In their eagerness to vie with each other to claim moral and ethical superiority by demanding the Minister's removal, they conveniently forgot all about the gory glossary of pejoratives from which they had helped themselves, before their ignominious defeat in elections, to a liberal supply of abuses and absurdities to attack Narendra Modi and his party without any qualm. BJP party men and sympathizers have painstakingly prepared a volume of those cuss words topped by, the never-ever-forgettable "Chaiwallah" jibe, to expose the double standards of the opposition leaders who have been united by the singular urge of tarnishing the image of the Modi government.

The mainstream Media has not lagged far behind in the opposition parties' diatribe and has been baying for blood. More than the colorful vocabulary of the Minister, it is the color of her robes which has come in handy for the Media to run her down with. It is bad enough that a Chaiwallah has made it to the CEO's post. What is a Sadhvi who should belong to a Mutt or a Dera in the first place doing in the Council of Ministers? What a shameful state of affairs! Shekhar Gupta recently bemoaned in one of his articles in India Today the fate befallen the liberal thinkers of the country, warning them that a medieval past was upon them and that the barbarians were at the gate! He also rued the difficult times that the liberals had to go through because of the "stupidity of crores of people who voted for the government". Referring to Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti as a junior Minister in charge of "achar and chutney," he put it to Narendra Modi that the Sadhvi be sent away to "prayer and penance" for her colorful language rather than be allowed to remain in the Ministry of Food Processing and waste "public money" and make a pickle of BJP's image in the process.

An impartial observer of the ludicrous events would like to pose the following questions to Shekhar Gupta:

What is wrong about being a junior Minister and why dub the lady as in charge of achar and chutney? What is it that he dislikes, the junior Minister or achar and chutney? What has his doctor advised him to refrain from - achar and chutney, junior ministers or Sadhvis?

Whom was he referring to as barbarians at the gate? Apparently, he considers the Sangh Pariwar as the barbarians and the hordes of IS, Al Qaeda, the Talibans, LeT and other Jehadist elements from across the border as guardians of secularism?

How could he flagrantly call the collective wisdom of crores of people who had voted for the Modi government "stupidity"? Is his brand of Secularism more sacrosanct than democracy and the freedom it bestows on the people to choose a government of their liking? Or does he want to keep the 'unwashed humanity' consisting of Chaiwallahs and their ilk from casting their democratic right of voting?

What would he say was the image of BJP in the eyes of its detractors till now as he was worried it would be made a pickle of by the junior Minister?

How would the continuance of the Sadhvi in her post cause wastage of public money?

Why throw the baby away with the bath water by sidelining the onslaught of the Islamic militants from across the border with the support of the local breed of religious fundamentalists, in the process of castigating the Minister?

If there is no valid answer to any of the above questions, why the questions at all?

In such a hostile atmosphere prevailing at home, with the Opposition parties and Media totally insensitive and indifferent to the very real threat of international terrorism in the name of Islam, the Modi government is in dire need of allies in the big powers like the US and Russia.

Coming back to our VVIP visitors, Obama's position on the threat of Islamic State, Al Qaeda and other Jehadist elements is understandable. Although he is fighting them at the birthplace of the ugly phenomenon, he couldn't be open or very vocal about it because of the inherent constraints and limitations in his country's political system, could he? Let us not forget the fact that he has gone the extra mile by condemning the ongoing acts of terrorism in Kashmir. He will be presented with hard evidence of Pakistan's complicity in these acts, during his forthcoming visit.

One thing that we could be sure about is that terrorism would be discussed at some length by PM Modi with a receptive Putin and an equally understanding Obama. How he weans the two powerful leaders to the common cause of jointly fighting terrorism in the subcontinent, stop IS in its tracks, and stop Chinese military jingoism, without India getting into the dynamics of the US-Russia wrangle over Ukraine is a matter worth the waiting for the observers.

In any case, first things first. Let us unroll the red carpet and chill the champagne, or heat the chai, or whatever, for our friends! Atithi Devo Bhava!

It is clear the honeymoon period enjoyed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is coming to an epic end, at least in the domestic front. The highly ineffective Parliament which even in the best of days is one of the most underperforming government body in this country has received blow after blow from the ruling BJP and its ministers. The latest comes from a highly unlikely quarter of the External Affairs Minister Ms. Sushma Swaraj who wants Bhagwad Gita to be India’s National Scripture and also it helps fight depression. No will ever dare question her Hindu Nationalistic Credentials and she is indeed one of the stalwarts of BJP and was even in the reckoning of being considered as a Prime Ministerial candidate if the whole Modi experiment did not work. But now it seems all hell will break lose in the Parliament after Ms. Swaraj declared that the Hindu holy book Gita be given the designation of National Scripture. This declaration was made when she was speaking in an event hosted by the RSS affiliate Global Inspiration and Enlightenment Organization of Gita. Now with approval coming from such high political office the Hindu Right Wing are going to have field day.

Though anyone who has read Bhagwad Gita will never dispute the wisdom human race has derived from it, but to turn this holy book into a National Scripture goes against the very sprit of our constitution and its guiding force the preamble. The opening words are enough to give someone Goosebumps. The words of our preamble are the very essence on which India stands as a nation of “WE, THE PEOPLE OF INDIA, having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a SOVEREIGN SOCIALIST SECULAR DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC and to secure to all its citizens: JUSTICE, social, economic and political; LIBERTY of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship; EQUALITY of status and of opportunity; and to promote among them all FRATERNITY assuring the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of the Nation.” Nowhere it is mentioned let us give reverence to a holy book and in a country like India there are so many and we have a proud history of showing reverence to all of them.

Barely we have managed to recover from the Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti’s diatribe and use of unmentionable words she used in a speech for which there is no defense and saying she is from a rural background is an insult to all those people who live in villages who always speak with all the decency and dignity. Also who can forget Ramesh Pokhriyal who famously declaring India was the first country to conduct nuclear test and astrology is grater then science and so many people even in his own party were running for cover. Manohar Lal Khattar the chief minister of Haryana is pro Khap the extra judicial body in the state of Haryana which will help preserve the moral fabric of our society and he wants the Gita to be considered above the construction which in itself should be a penalty for his dismissal as Chief Minister of a state. Even if one decides to ignore the above statements it would not be possible for the Modi government to stop the opposition from taking full advantage of this situation. It may be impossible for Modi to take a centrist road to have a successful term.

I simply do not have any respect for those politicians and political parties which hides under the cloak of secularism and Mahatma Gandhi rightly said “It is better to be violent, if there is violence in our hearts, than to put on the cloak of nonviolence to cover impotence.” Leaders like Mamata Banerjee who herself is known for using colorful language and extreme rhetoric when she speaks has no moral right to politicize this issue, but she already has. The Congress party who are the experts in the art of divide and conquer also have no moral standing since they themselves have taken decisions on religious lines and Shah Bano case stands out where Practicality, Pragmatism and rights of Muslim women was trampled, all in the name of vote bank politics was as wrong as is trying to make Gita as the National scripter. Parties like the TMC, Congress and Samajwadi party have always hidden in the cloak of secularism and has played dirty politics.

What would surprise most people would be why Ms. Sawraj would make such claim that by reading Gita it will help fight depression and is there any clinical evidence of Gita curing depression. Is the government running clinical trials? Now if by reading the infinite wisdom of the verses in Gita gave Sushma Swaraj semblance of peace and focus during a period of crisis, then good for her. Again as a Hindu and as someone who has studied Gita at an armature level and it would be foolish to even think I know more, it is with profound fear I ask this question, is the BJP in the guise of social and economical development taking India to theocratic state and who would the high priest? Are we going to be next Saudi Arabia and who knows we could be heading the Israel’s way of calling us a Hindu Nation? If that happens we will be no different than Pakistan which is now running blind due to its eyes covered by religion. I am just waiting when a BJP leader will call India the world’s first Hindu Nuclear Power. Why not.

Last week or so was full of revelations of some people facing reality. A young Indian man named Arif Majeed returned to India at great pearl after he was wounded in Iraq since he did not get the right treatment and his injuries worsened. But after the intelligence agencies had a powwow with him he also revealed some startling news about Life under ISIS, ISIL, Islamic Stat, Daesh whatever name they are fighting this week. He was asked to perform in of the most difficult tasks one could possibly imagine and that task was to clean toilets. How undignified and demeaning to an Indian man when asked to wash cloths and clean toilets.

Imagine the humanity! Well poor injured Arif had no other choice but to return to India to his mom who probably cleans the toilets in his home because let’s face it no self respecting Indian would do such menial task because it beneath us. However in the recent news reports it has been revealed Arif Majeed did more than toilet cleaning and was a trained suicide bomber (does one really need training for blowing themselves up?) and had taken part in ISIS combat operations where we received his wounds. But all may not be lost since Arif was disgusted in the way ISIS treated women and called it unIslamic which shows he still has compassion in his heart.

The second case is of French Jihadists who wrote home in which they mentioned about the dreary life they lead in Iraq and Syria under Daesh. One Jihad enthusiast whose iPod had gotten damaged was particularly sad and he was also missing all the comforts of western society, then again who wouldn’t. Exploding bombs and the dead bodies of your enemies always look very pretty on the other side. But faced with the prospect of collecting mangled and mutilated bodies of dead Daesh fighters is altogether a different experience.

The last thing I noticed was the attack carried out by six Pakistan terrorist in Kashmir which sadly took the lives if eleven Indian security personals. Anyway keeping emotions away as I was going through the news reports and photos, one particular item caught my attention. It was the photo of a food bag which had the title “Chicken Achari” in English and Urdu. The men who came over from Pakistan to die in the name of Jihad and freedom for Kashmir apparently have good taste in food. Who would say no to Chicken Achari unless they are a vegetarian which is my case? But still it sounds delish.

My heart goes out to the fallen idiots who could have lived and enjoyed a good meal and I am sure their travel agents (Hafiz Saeed and Co) would have given them the best food supplement. Wonder if Indian army makes such good food packages. Anyway they are dead so mission accomplished morons.

The only thing which is different from the three instances was that the six Pakistanis no matter how misguided came to India with a mission and that was to inflict as much casualty as they can and sadly they succeeded. But the other two categories are men with no self respect. Should all form of help and counseling be given to Arif Majeed? Yes we should and that is the only way to stop young Muslim men like Arif from joining ISIS who seem to have the ability to paint a very rosy picture. But war is hell and people die.

Already many foreign fighters who expressed desire to return home have been executed and who knows the fate of the other Indians who went with Arif. They could be dead or worse they could have participated in mass murder of innocent civilians and dare I say Rape. Anyway no one knows if Arif Majeed is repentant and he regrets his actions or he just came back to get proper medical treatment and avoid cleaning toilets. If he is unrepentant then the government must take action.

Let us presuppose that there is a magic spell or a secret formula which offers a sure-fire way of getting whatever one wants. Keep it in the darkest cave in the remotest corner of the world, away from prying eyes and evil clutches of the black-faced villains who emerge from time to time in history and are hell-bent on subjugating all of humanity in the name of some religion, ideology, or the other. Yet, more blood would be spilt in man's attempt to spirit away the closely-guarded secret than in all the wars which have been fought in history. Nor would any price be considered too big to own the formula. Show me a man (or woman) who would not be interested in learning the secret and I shall show you a singularly enticing gorgon whom every eligible bachelor in the world would be enamored of to the extent of wanting to share his life with and be proud of taking home to his mother. Such is the lure of the forbidden fruit! There is, therefore, not much merit in keeping the formula a complete, foolproof secret. Just keep it in the open in the glare of full public view where everyone would see it and yet nobody would recognize it for what it is. Just trust man for being too myopic to recognize the simple truth!

Wants and Wanting

Wants are primarily the basic requirements of every man, like food, clothes, and shelter. And, then, there are additional wants such as education, career, position and name in the society, family, friends etc. The list of man's wants cannot really be too long to warrant a cursory dismissal as the work of a greedy person, as self-restraint, tempered by modesty, would be the guiding principle in the preparation of such a list.

Wanting, Limitless

On the contrary, there is practically no limit to human greed and avarice which constitute the motivating factor for someone, anyone, for wanting more and more. More and more of more and more things. For instance, but for greed and avarice, why would one want a fleet of limousines in the place of one car which would serve one's purpose nicely? The skyline of every city in the world is dotted with posh up market restaurants, frequented by the super rich and glitterati who spend like there is no tomorrow. The money spent on wining and dining in such places in one go would be much more than the collective annual budgets of scores of poverty-stricken families in many parts of the world. And what is this obsession with owning islands, yachts and properties all over the world? Wait, there is really something more to it than greed and avarice.

One Upmanship

With his basic wants assured, man becomes increasingly conscious of having arrived in the society; and the need to keep up with the Jones becomes overwhelming. If a good lady celebrity who is the toast of the town were to attend two successive social events in the same costume or accessories, no matter how out-of-the-world, she would be hounded out by the paparazzi and written off by the fashion police! So, a wardrobeful of clothes, to be periodically replenished, is not only a need or necessity for a star or celebrity but also considered as something cool and a done thing! The idea is to keep ahead of the pack. Simply put, one upmanship is the name of the game!

Rat race

Man is in race with himself, not knowing where he is headed and before he realizes the futility of it all, the game is over. All the tricks of the trade, cheating, deceit and back-stabbings, meticulously put to good use for making vast sums of money and creating evil empires, go up in a smoke in a puff! When tragedy strikes the individual, the rest of the world continues to gorge itself on generous helpings of creature comforts and dollops of luxurious life with the same ferocious gluttonous appetite as before and does not pause to reflect or hold hands with the one who has reached the end of the road. "Tut! Tut! How sad!" is all that is spared by the society for its once-privileged member that has fallen by the wayside. After all, the show must go on and it is hardly any more than a show which one puts up, in normal circumstances, for winning worthless words of praise and meaningless accolades.

The long and short of it is that, while one could win battles in life, there is no winning the war.

So, what does one do? Make peace with life. What else?

What Happens when You Get

If one gets whatever he wants, what would be the consequences like? Disastrous, to say the least. For with such a source of unbridled power, one would set in motion a series of karmic deeds, each of which could separately spell trouble, and collectively doom, for the one who unleashes the genie, and for the entire world and humanity. It is, therefore, imperative that a person is suitably anointed for inheriting such a powerful gift as the secret. So, make the secret, conditional to ensure that only the deserving ones could use it

Getting What One Wants

We had thus far proceeded with the presumption that there is a magic spell or secret formula in existence for getting whatever one wants. It is indeed as true obvious as mother's love that getting what one wants is possible, all the time, every time. Only, there is no magic or secret shrouding the 'how'. It is all out there in the open, if only you could see and recognize it!

Dynamics of Wanting

When someone wants something, the wanting is caused by a desire to have it. Desires are neither deep-rooted nor grounded in reality. Desires are but fleeting impulses of a very transient and ephemeral nature, the birth place of which is the mind. Thoughts give birth to desires. You look at a thing, hear or read about it, which, in turn, makes you think about it. When the thing you think about appeals to your imagination and sensory perceptions, you want the thing, and then the thought takes hold of your mind, giving rise to a desire. The thought and desire take phantom shapes that give you sleepless nights. The more you think about the thing you want, the stronger the growth of the desire. The stronger the desire, the more the temptation. The easiest option available while dealing with a temptation is to give in. Who hasn't ever said, "I can say no to anything but temptation," making it sound like a joke but meaning every word!

If it is foolish to succumb to a temptation, it is futile to blindly fight or resist it. Such a course of action which envisages suppression of temptation which is a double-edged sword is counter-productive and could cause severe trauma or mental anguish. There is no resisting or overcoming temptation by an untrained mind. The best thing to do for a layperson without an untrained mind in these circumstances is to avoid situations which give rise to temptations, altogether, like by not chartering into unexplored or treacherous waters.

Stop Thoughts

If you could think straight and right and become capable of seeing things for their real worth, you would hardly be dismayed or despair over the vicissitudes of life. Now, how do you think straight and right? As a thumb rule, thoughts do not travel in a straight line or by the shortest route as the crow flies, from one issue to another, which demand your attention. They meander through the endless labyrinths of mind, in several totally uncalled for and irresponsible jaunts in the shortest of short spells which only human mind could conceive, having scant regard for the seriousness of the situation at hand, before latching onto the next subject matter. Even, after doing so, thoughts do not remain focused on one issue and keep at their wayward and erratic behavior of wandering about. A single thought is thus collectively hijacked by a million totally unrelated others. It is the flippant and fickle nature of the mind which is responsible for such a reckless behavior of thoughts. Thoughts come and go in their millions at undeterminable, dizzying speeds while mind stoically stays put in its place.

Mind over Matter

"The mind is everything. What you think, you become," said Buddha. If you succeed in training your mind to host clean and pure thoughts, you could avoid negative, gloomy and wicked thoughts, and become the repository of all that is good and pristine as God intended. For God had made you in His image.

Purity in Thought

When you become worthy of pure thoughts, you become purity personified and are no more contaminated by the evils of the worldly ways. All that you want in such a sublime condition become yours. For the world is at your feet. A short story to illustrate the point. Prince Siddharth was living in a blissful marital state, in the lap of luxury before becoming Buddha. He renounced all the worldly comforts, like a duck would shrug water off its back, in pursuit of the truth of life. When he succeeded in his endeavor, he attained 'Nirvana' or enlightenment and became Buddha. During one of his sojourns to different places in what was once his Kingdom, he visited the capital city. His wife, who had been feeling neglected and pining for her husband, wanted to wean him back to lead once again a life together as in the good old days. Dressed in royal silks and finery and bedecked with dazzling jewellery, she went to Buddha and asked him what he saw. Evidently, she meant to win him over by the splendor of her beauty.

Buddha, being his transformed self, cast one look at her and said: "Well, I see a bag made of skin, containing blood, bones, gore and human waste." The good lady got the message, and went back without her husband, but with a totally different outlook on life. If one could see everything, like Buddha, for their real worth sans outward trappings and triflings, one may hope to become enlightened some day when nothing of this world matters anymore. Till the arrival of that day, fill your mind with pure thoughts and get your wants and wishes granted. For you would no more be a potentially demented, trigger happy person craving for power or the trappings of power, ready to nuke the world into oblivion! The irony is, when you get the absolute power which you had hankered after all your life, you don't want to use it! Need one say more about minor wants and wishes?

India is dreaming of becoming the super power by the year 2050 and meanwhile trying to play a role of big brother in Asiatic countries such Nepal, Bhutan, Pakistan and Afghanistan. What are the requirements that a country has to full fill in order to have the status of ‘Big Brother’? What comes in mind, generally speaking, is economy, education and diplomatic interference at international stage for international issues. Along with that a country also needs to be fully equipped with technologically rich paraphernalia such as Missiles, War Planes, Submarines, ammunition and basic facilities. India is just dreaming based on certain international reports that read ‘India is the next superpower’, but it does not see if it really has the capability to be a ‘Super Power’.

If we go by the latest story published in one of the articles on NDTV, it says Indian Army positioned on Seachin borders do not have enough Boots, Bullets and Riffles to survive or in case war commences as Indian borders are on a high in most of the times, there is no one to save India. On the other hand, China is improving its Military and Navy and at times flexes its muscles by intruding Indian lines. A couple of days back DNA of Zee News ran a show regarding the sluggishness of DRDO which ran into extra expenses and shot its annual budget from RS. 3000 to Rs. 10000 Crore. The end result is, India has failed to create a world class assault rifle to meet the basic needs of our Army.

Parliament’s standing committee on Defense, headed by Major General BC Khanduri, submitted a report on the preparedness of Indian Army in the winter session which ended today (Dec 23rd, 2014). A report was submitted to Parliament by the committee which highlighted the current scenario of our Army positioned at critical areas. The soldiers in high-altitude areas are short of nearly 200,000 pairs of ankle leather boots; more than 130,000 canvas boots are needed in the same areas, hundred thousand mosquito nets are wanted, and soldiers are waiting for 65,000 Balaclavas or masks to keep their faces warm.

Also our Air Force has a very aging fleet of Mig21 (flying coffins) and Mig 27. Our requirement is of 45 Squadrons but we only have 25 and that is not the end of the bad news. Out of those 25 squadrons only 11 are operational worthy making India Vulnerable. The other 14 squadrons can fight but will not stand a chance against advanced jets which Pakistan and China have. Our indigenous fighter jet program (Tejes) has consumed more money and delivered zero results.

It is high time Indian and DRDO should notice the basic requirements and fulfills indigenously. The current scenario does allow India to sustain a war for long period and the maximum we can go on is for 40 days.

India is dreaming of becoming the super power by the year 2050 and meanwhile trying to play a role of big brother in Asiatic countries such Nepal, Bhutan, Pakistan and Afghanistan. What are the requirements that a country has to full fill in order to have the status of ‘Big Brother’? What comes in mind, generally speaking, is economy, education and diplomatic interference at international stage for international issues. Along with that a country also needs to be fully equipped with technologically rich paraphernalia such as Missiles, War Planes, Submarines, ammunition and basic facilities. India is just dreaming based on certain international reports that read ‘India is the next superpower’, but it does not see if it really has the capability to be a ‘Super Power’.

If we go by the latest story published in one of the articles on NDTV, it says Indian Army positioned on Seachin borders do not have enough Boots, Bullets and Riffles to survive or in case war commences as Indian borders are on a high in most of the times, there is no one to save India. On the other hand, China is improving its Military and Navy and at times flexes its muscles by intruding Indian lines. A couple of days back DNA of Zee News ran a show regarding the sluggishness of DRDO which ran into extra expenses and shot its annual budget from RS. 3000 to Rs. 10000 Crore. The end result is, India has failed to create a world class assault rifle to meet the basic needs of our Army.

Parliament’s standing committee on Defense, headed by Major General BC Khanduri, submitted a report on the preparedness of Indian Army in the winter session which ended today (Dec 23rd, 2014). A report was submitted to Parliament by the committee which highlighted the current scenario of our Army positioned at critical areas. The soldiers in high-altitude areas are short of nearly 200,000 pairs of ankle leather boots; more than 130,000 canvas boots are needed in the same areas, hundred thousand mosquito nets are wanted, and soldiers are waiting for 65,000 Balaclavas or masks to keep their faces warm.

Also our Air Force has a very aging fleet of Mig21 (flying coffins) and Mig 27. Our requirement is of 45 Squadrons but we only have 25 and that is not the end of the bad news. Out of those 25 squadrons only 11 are operational worthy making India Vulnerable. The other 14 squadrons can fight but will not stand a chance against advanced jets which Pakistan and China have. Our indigenous fighter jet program (Tejes) has consumed more money and delivered zero results.

It is high time Indian and DRDO should notice the basic requirements and fulfills indigenously. The current scenario does allow India to sustain a war for long period and the maximum we can go on is for 40 days.

The world has become, all of a sudden, too dangerous a place to live in. There are far too many killings, brutalities against women, children, the feeble and the infirm, and desecration and razing down of places of worship, all in the name of religion. It is an indisputable fact that there had been wars waged and atrocities committed earlier too, throughout the course of history, practically in every part of the world. But the scale of massacres and the degree of accompanying depravity which resulted from the mindless violence and brazen acts of terrorism at its worst form perpetrated in recent times, in blatant disregard of and utter contempt for the opinion of the international community which is aghast by the despicable war crimes, gargantuan genocides, eery ethnic cleansings and wanton violations of human rights, stick out as exceptionally brutal crimes of a monumental scale. Blood baths, beheadings, decapitation, ethnic cleansings, suicide bombings, pillage, robberies from banks and oil reserves owned by legitimate governments, kidnappings of school girls, rapes...... the list of the macabre crimes is endless. Gory accounts of the crimes are only a click away, with the mainstream media and social media vying with each other to bring home to your parlor the ugly face of the daily, nay, hourly addition of the most horrendous and horrific crimes and barbarism incessantly perpetrated against humanity. The sweep of the brutal crimes covers practically every country in the world with considerable Muslim population, with the main thrust in Iraq and Syria. There is no dearth of bloodshed within the Muslim community itself in these war torn countries, with the hardcore Sunni terrorists targeting fellow Muslims from other denomination. In headlong onslaughts against the Yazidis and Christians, the terrorists have tried hard to decimate their populations altogether.

The Ugly Face of Terrorism

The crimes are carried out by armies of mercenary foot soldiers who are on the lookout for money, sex, and vicarious and sadistic pleasure to be derived from cold-blooded acts of perversion by targeting the vulnerable sections of the society in the process of fighting their political and religious enemies. Their despicable acts are backed by the exhortations of a mad clergy with a medieval mindset who justify that the jihadist elements are only serving God by slaughtering the 'unfaithful' or 'non-believers'. Plundering of the property of the enemies, enslaving of their women regardless of their age or marital status and butchering of their children, are all permitted as brave acts of war in the service of their faith and God; the fighters for the cause are assured that their acts would earn them martyrdom and they would be going to the heaven for their 'selfless sacrifice' in defending the name and word of God. Such trash beliefs, based on some vacuous and nebulous doctrine or scripture which was believed to have been handed over by God Himself centuries ago to someone whose religious diktat could be questioned only on pain of death, are espoused day in and day out by the rabid clergy throughout the length and breadth of developed countries with a captive audience of immigrant population from former Asian and African colonial outposts, let alone the gullible ghetto dwellers of developing and poor third world countries. An act on the part of anyone, perceived as a threat or challenge to the holy book or the authority of the Prophet is to be most severely punished. Hence no scope for searching for truth or rationality in the religious dogma in today's context as such an attempt falls outside the pale of discussion. The recent killings of French journalists who made a caricature of Islam and its Prophet is a case in point.

Foibles of Western Countries

The Western States, which consider themselves champions of the democratic form of governance, human rights, freedom of expression, freedom of practicing the religion of one's choice, liberty, equality, fraternity and such dearly cherished values conceived by the best of human minds and borne out of centuries of political and social evolution, are stupefied by the outright denial of their value system and the brazen challenge and terror unleashed by the radical religious groups like Islamic State, Al Qaeda, Boko Haram, Taliban, Lashkar è Taiba, and the numerous offshoots of these militant outfits fighting for supremacy of their faith and annihilation of others. They are nonplussed by the demands of the radical religious groups for introduction of the Sharia Law and unfettered freedom to practice their religious beliefs exactly as set out in the medieval times in an altogether different cultural context even when such freedom militates against the common law of the country. The attempts of the Western States to prohibit the 'hijab' in public places and their refusal to introduce the Sharia Law and demand for religious schools in total disregard to the uniform education system have evoked strident opposition and often violent outbursts of protests from groups of migrant populations who aggressively assert supremacy of their faith. The consequent scenario is an unprecedented bedlam of political and social turmoil in the well-organized democracies of Western Europe which are feeling helpless in the face of the stubborn and violent position taken in the matter by the migrant populations refusing to budge from their demands.

Sections of the immigration population indulge in certain unlawful activities like honor killing with utter impunity. A classic illustration to make the point is the inability of Britain to curb the menace of the unlawful practice of the 'grooming' of school going girls by certain sections of their immigration population from the Indian subcontinent and forcing them into inhuman crimes like prostitution. The authorities have pleaded helplessness in the naming and shaming of the criminals as they are all from a particular community and revealing their ethnic identity would render the authorities vulnerable to criticism of prejudice by the community and consequent loss of political support by the community with sizable number of votes, at polls. Resultantly, the suffering of helpless victims continues unabated and political corruption gets perpetuated, posing a serious challenge to the democratic system.

Western Youth for Terrorism

Another area where West European and other developed countries including the US and Australia suffer in their fight against global terrorism is the loss of any number of their own youngsters who are disillusioned with their slowing down economies and consequent loss of employment opportunities and the endless controversies in which the Church is involved, to the oil rich Gulf and West Asian countries which have become a hotbed of religious terrorism. Living in ideological and theological vacuum, these disgruntled youngsters are easily brainwashed by the fiery speeches of the rabid clergy of an alien faith and converted to their fight for supremacy.

Hotbed of Untrammelled Terrorism

The plight of developing African countries like Nigeria and Kenya which face the brutal onslaught of religious fundamentalists is much worse, the poor people of these countries forming an ideal soft target. Kidnapping of girls and mowing down of laymen and women are matters of daily occurrence which don't draw much response from the international community beyond newspaper headlines.

India, Safe Haven of Secularism

Against such a backdrop of the fatal fever of communal frenzy prevailing elsewhere in the world, India has been a haven of religious tolerance from time immemorial although it was during the last sixty seven years of its existence as an independent nation free from the colonial yoke that it has been wearing Secularism as a badge of honor. To illustrate the point, the Sanatana Dharma of ancient India envisaged the whole world as a global family (Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam). The lesser known Tamil poet of Kaniyan Poonkundranar of the Sangam Period (3 century BC - 4 century AD) looked upon the whole world as his dwelling place and everyone residing in such a vast homestead his kin. He rejected division of mankind into various categories and emphasized the universality of all men. Throughout its long history, India has given birth to several major religions like Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism which coexisted, and is still doing so, in harmony with Sanatana Dharma despite the fact that the latter assimilated the salient features of those religions and emerged as an inclusive body of faith. Zoroastrianism (Parsi religion) which had been uprooted in its birthplace of Persia took shelter in India and has been doing well till today.

Islam and Religious Intolerance

Religious intolerance reared its ugly head in India with the advent of Arab invaders in 711 AD. The subsequent Muslim invaders from Central Asia made India their home and not only retained their religion but also carried out large scale conversions of the native Indian population to their faith by offering positions in their court to the elite but mostly by the use of brute force.

Notwithstanding forced conversions of large numbers of the native Hindu population, various leaders of Sufi orders chartered the first organized activities to introduce localities to Islam through Sufism. Saint figures and mythical stories provided solace and inspiration to Hindu caste communities often in rural villages of India. The Sufi teachings of divine spirituality, cosmic harmony, love, and humanity resonated with the common people and continue do so till today.

Enter Christianity

Christianity was believed to have been introduced in India by Thomas, the Apostle, who visited Kerala in 52 AD to spread the gospels amongst Kerala's Jewish settlements. There is a general scholarly consensus that Christianity was established in India by the 6th century AD, including some communities who used Syriac liturgically, and it is possible that the religion's existence there extends to as far back as the 1st century. Christianity has had its fair share of controversies regarding forced conversions of the local population by force or coercion in States like Goa during colonial rule.

Religious Conversions

Both Islam and Christianity have taken firm roots in India thanks to their policy of propagation and conversion. Both the religions are alive to the vulnerability and susceptibility of the economically and socially weaker sections of the Hindu society, especially in the tribal belts and those regions of the country which are under political dispensations that are ideologically opposed to the Hindu nationalist party BJP, to the persuasions and propagation of other religions and don't miss an opportunity to cash in on the failing of Hinduism to keep its flock together. Hinduism has the unique distinction of being a religion without a Pope-like figure for the purpose of ensuring coalescence of different denominations of faith. In fact, true to its origins in the ancient Sanatana Dharma, the Hindu religion, as it obtains today, allows its faithful the freedom to practise their own religious practices according to their regional and linguistic diversity without prejudice to their adherence to the core belief.

Secularism in Post-Independence India

Throughout the post-Independence era, India has been vertically split into a leftist-leaning, Secularism-espousing bloc of political parties, with the Indian national Congress at the vanguard, at one end of the spectrum and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which is fiercely proud of its Hindutva identity, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a thoroughbred Hindu theological outfit with several theological groupings and identities like the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), Bajrang Dal etc in its fold, at the other. While BJP has always condemned Congress and the other parties of its ilk, of espousing pseudo secularism, its rival parties paint BJP and other saffron outfits with the same brush of communalism. While disputing its portrayal as a communal party, BJP has exhibited no pretence of being the champion defender of Secularism.

BJP and Secularism

With the emergence of BJP which has strong ideological moorings in the Hindu theological party of RSS, at the centre stage as the ruling party, there has been a paradigm shift in the perception of the Government of India of its policy on Secularism. The Sangh Parivar units like VHP, Bajrang Dal etc, which come under the fold of RSS, felt upbeat and accordingly initiated activities to give shape to their theological ideas and beliefs. This gave rise to calls for construction of Ram Mandir at Ayodhya, ”love jihad," "ghar wapsi" (re-conversion from Islam and Christianity) etc, with BJP MPs like Yogi Adityanath and Sakshi Maharaj vociferously supporting the calls. Subsequently, politically appropriate statements were issued by BJP leaders and spokespersons to undo the damage caused by the calls. Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti, a Minister of State in the Modi Cabinet, shot off a hugely controversial remark which was communal in nature about opposition parties and, in the face of a strident protest by opposition parties, subsequently retracted the statement. Another raging controversy being debated in political circles today is the issue of passing legislation against conversion. Prime Minister Modi has warned BJP leaders not to make statements out of turn, has himself been maintaining a stoic silence over the controversial statements made by his party colleagues and has been focusing on matters of development and administration. Although his silence draws adverse criticism from leaders of Opposition parties and political commentators, Mr.Modi has steered clear of the controversies. His strategy has been avoiding controversies which could give rise to communal confrontations, and keeping his party men in check. To his credit, the strategy has paid off.

However, BJP would appear to have lost its cutting edge as a progressive party of developmental program’s in contrast to Congress and its allies which have not given up playing the communal card rather than projecting economic and social policies for the development of the country and the people. BJP's inability to win a single seat from the Kashmir valley in the recently-held Assembly elections could arguably be attributed to the loss of its cutting edge.

Double Talk by Opposition

Leaders of Opposition parties have, however, been carrying on as during times prior to BJP's coming to power. Unlike Mr. Modi who slammed the recent terrorist attacks in Paris in which journalists were killed and expressed solidarity with the French people, Congress leaders like Mani Shankar Aiyar and Dig Vijay Singh have been going around making statements justifying terrorist activities not only outside but also within India, as inevitable backlash on the part of the Muslim community. While doing so, they conveniently overlook the fact that peace loving sections of the community had come forward to deride violence in the name of religion.

The Pakistan Angle

With Pakistan finding it difficult to win battles against Taliban and other indigenous terrorist groupings on its own soil and sheltering and supporting at the same time, terrorist elements who have perpetrated vicious attacks and enacted mass killings in India and taken refuge in Pakistan, India has a lot to worry about safeguarding its territorial integrity and maintaining communal harmony on the home front.

India and Its Destiny

While implementing right economic policies would steer the country on the path of growth and development, strengthening the defense apparatus and being pragmatic rather than dogmatic on the foreign policy front would earn us the friendship and support of friendly and powerful nations. How we keep the people of India together without their becoming victims of the communal divide is a very crucial and important question which needs to be addressed without any further delay by the Modi government which has been given a massive mandate by the people of India. Mr. Modi has already proved that he is arguably the most popular and successful Prime Minister that the country has seen. He has the vision, will and, above all, the determination to make India the success story of the twenty first century and demonstrate to the world that it is not merely as a nation of ancient wisdom and dharma but one which has put these doctrines to good use for the upliftment of its people.

Secularism, BJP's Article of Faith

In the meanwhile, in India's fight against international and homespun strands of terrorism, great care has to be taken not to throw away with the bath water, Secularism, the bonny baby of India's religious and cultural ethos. Secularism is an article of faith for Mr. Modi in whose ideology of statecraft, it is a coalescing agent for binding Indians of different faiths together and not a mere electoral plank as it has been used by the current crop of Opposition parties! Safe indeed is the doctrine of Secularism in India which needs it now much more than ever for its very survival as a living tribute to communal harmony.

It seems these days things are going out of protocols. First Obama broke the protocol and spent a lot of time with Modi while touring the White House and Modi broke the protocol to receive Obama at the airport. Obama broke the security protocol and attended the Republic Day Parade for more than 2 hours and met with numerous dignitaries there. There was this self-styled-age-old protocol that whenever any US President visited India, he would make a visit to Pakistan and the same has been broken for the last two visits. Obama had his second visit to India bypassing Pakistan. Pakistan not only gets worried, but irritated as well for Obama sent, as a gesture, Mr. Kerry to Pakistan to rebuke the government for their failure to tackle internal terrorism.

John kerry, in clear words, informed the Nawaz Sharif government of controlling both Haqqani Network and Jamat-ud-Dawa and stop nurturing terror in the land. He clearly mentioned that US would not accept any terror attack in India that comes from Pakistan during the visit. To add fuel to the –already-blazing-fire, Obama announced its full support for India’s permanent membership at UN Security Council. This has created tension for Pakistan and its all-weather friend China. China has remarked on the announcement stating that all UNSC members should be kept in talks before any such move is taken.

Pakistani Media was laden with Obama’s India visit news. Dawn mentioned the headline stating ‘Rain fails to dampen cheer as Obama attends Indian parade’. There has been constant remarks coming from China and Pakistan as well. This shows the level of anxiousness of these neighbors. Gone are the days for Pakistan when US Presidents used to ride through the Pakistani city in a horse drawn carriage. The people of Pakistan did not have to conceal behind the bullet-proof walls as terror resides in there.

While Obama was sharing cups with Modi, more than 80% of Pakistan was plunged in darkness since there was no electricity, gas and petrol. It was rumored that the US was planning to give the remaining of the aid of $532 million, but that has not materialized because of the sluggish attitude of the government towards the prosecution of 26/11 plotters. Let’s not forget some of the dead were American citizens back in 2008 when 10 heavily armed terrorist attacked Mumbai.

Also Read: Balochistan Loves India, Click Below

http://www.uthestory.com/opinion/balochistan-loves-modi-india/

This is high time Pakistan should start thinking of the current situations going out of hand or have already gone. Selecting partially the terror organizations to ban or seize bank accounts or assets is not the solution. They need to go aggressive on these organization and do not give an inch of land for them to stay, not in the jail even. The country needs to create an impression that makes Pakistan a reliable country, only then other countries can befriend Pakistan or they should be happy with China- a cynosures of all eyes.

To be or not to be that is the question and come 10th of February 2015 we will know who gets to be “TO BE & who gets NOT TO BE.” Will it be the anointed BJP under the inspiring leadership of Narendra Modi or will it be Arvind Kejriwal the “Constant Agitator” and the way things are going the number one contender for the post of Chief Minister. These are questions which have plagued this city for the last one month and no effort has been spared to reach out to the beleaguered and confused masses of Delhi who has been living without a government for over 12 months.

It was a colossus error of judgment on the part of AAP to dissolve the Delhi Assembly back in January 2014 and the idea I suppose was to play the role of Selfless Martyr who was or were not interested in power did not work in their favor. This idea backfired and the result of the general election was the naked truth. AAP abandoning Delhi when they could have solidified their position left a very bad taste in the mouth of people and they have still not forgotten. But it seems the tactics employed by the BJP has washed away most of the bitterness felt by the people of this city.

Now a while back the BJP made a huge strategic error when it created a situation where the Delhi Election became a contest between “Modi Vs Kejriwal” and that is the only reason BJP had to rope in Kiran Bedi who being India’s first women Indian Police Service graduate was called the game changer like Sarah Palin was hoped for John McCain and we all know what happened then. Now enough has been said and written about her and the things that she did as a law enforcement officer. However the decision to make her the chief ministerial candidate if it was considered a master stroke a while back is now haunting BJP right now because in reality it was a desperate move to give Delhi BJP a leader who can actually be tagged as electable worthy.

By equating Kejriwal to Modi BJP was forced them to drop a political novice like Kiran Bedi in the fray in the eleventh hour and soon this whole election became cult of personality rather issues based. Now she is no spring chicken but she was never really a political person and her past statements against the BJP and Narendra Modi gave the opposition to tag her as opportunistic and within the BJP she was considered as someone who had tormented them.

The point is, from the BJP there was no one who was well known and the man who could have been CM, Harsh Vardhan is now a minister in the center. But the decision to bring Ms. Bedi absolutely did not go to well with the leaders of the Delhi BJP Unit who for posterity put up a brave smiling face, but within there was and still is lot of anger and resentment. These leaders had worked for years to build a political career and had aspirations which were squashed by the High Command for saint of reason.

Though I am not a huge fan of the AAP and their holier than thou image which they try to portray, one thing is clear if BJP loses Delhi it would be a physiological blow to their moral. All the victories they have enjoyed after the success they had in the General election from winning in Maharashtra, Jharkhand and just an unbelievable results which they managed to achieve in Jammu & Kashmir is truly a testament to the leadership of Prime Minster Modi and his leadership. But Delhi is the key which they want and have failed to hold on to for the last 16 years. When Sheila Dixit won her last assembly election just before the general election of 2008 the whole zeal and momentum was lost and one could easily see that in the eyes of its leaders. That will be not the case if the BJP loses in Delhi, but the defeat will galvanize the lost parties like the Congress who have plenty of money in their coffers to get back in the game again.

Congress, Rahul Gandhi and Ajay Maken are the non entity in these elections but they would be the spoil sport for BJP and there vote share will go to AAP is a foregone conclusion. “It is good to lose (Congress) rather than see your enemy (BJP) win” that is the mind set the congress party has and is on a self sabotaged mode for long term gains. On the surface they talk about how much they dislike AAP but the reality is the hate the BJP more.

It is very surprising Amit Shah gave up his election winning formula for Delhi and resorted to talk about Arvind Kejriwal rather than issues. Also the no show of BJP’s election manifesto and a vision document in its stead gave detractors more ammo and to add to the lack of popularity of Kiran Bedi within the BJP and her ineffective campaigning further accentuated problems. When a successful party like the BJP employees so many central ministers for campaign then it means in the eyes of the common masses they are in trouble. It is what one calls it as Overkill. To bring super heavy weights to fight a middle weight which is what AAP is, is a tactical and strategic blunder.

The problem with AAP is they still act like activist and people are looking for responsible and honest politicians who will serve the people. We do not want more agitation we want action and measure to solve the problems which has plagued this city for a very long time. It seems from all the exit polls that AAP just might cross the finishing line. But in the eternal words of Nizamuddin Auliya “Delhi is far yet” and come 10th of February we will know who will be Tughluq.

They say never go by what an exit poll would suggest the outcome of an election and if anyone believes that they are wrong but these days pools are getting it more right than wrong . But it seems very clear that come tomorrow 10th of February BJP will not get the keys to Delhi and the physiological loss will be very difficult to bear. Now BJP will have to spend its energies to defend Prime Minster Narendra Modi because the whole premise of Delhi campaign was “Modi.” Now since the BJP will lose and maybe by a significant margin, Amit Shah’s election experiment will be questioned and a new strategy will have to be put in place for Bihar and in Kashmir the last frontier forming a coalition government is still a bridge too far. The same formula which was used over and over completely blindsided BJP and the staunch refusal to even comprehend in change of strategy was blasphemous to them.

For BJP the Modi factor was like getting their hands on the Elder Wand from Harry Potter and they welded it so many times it they just wore it out. Everyone would agree, they were arrogant and expected a walkover or they thought they could walkover all other political parties and especially AAP since the Congress was and now officially a non entity in the political framework of India. Rahul Gandhi is now the Bahadur Shah Zafar of congress party and just a mare symbol by whom few vested interests will latch on until he is bone dry.

But that was not case with AAP under the leadership of a very diminutive Arvind Kejriwal or at least that is what he made everyone believe. BJP underestimated Kejriwal and in the in the book The Art of War San Tzu said “Pretend inferiority and encourage his arrogance.” The AAP was not inferior but the BJP was certainly arrogant. He was called a lot of names which are now part of the folklore of these elections and one must concede he took all the jabs, punches and the kitchen sink which was thrown at him with grace under fire. Not once he lost his cool which must have infuriated the BJP more than anything. Politics is perception and he managed to change the perception of the people of Delhi rather convincingly. BJP kept talking about Kejriwal and AAP kept talking about Issues.

Why the elections in Delhi was delayed

No one knows for sure why the elections in Delhi was delayed for such a long time and there are many theories, but had it been held back in September or October 2013, BJP would have won. However the only logical explanation I could arrive was BJP was biting for time. The sudden turnaround of our economy and the foreign policy victories just kept adding the allure of Modi which they thought they could package and sell it all over India and it worked. The second hypothesis is let the people of this city get by without a proper government to degrade AAP and in time people will just plead to the BJP to take over and all this would have been a walk in the park. However they forget AAP has perhaps the best network at the local level and the time given to them allowed them to borrow deeper into the marrow of the people’s psyche which was the most important factor of the outcome of this election.

Kiran to the Rescue

Is that a bird or plan, no it was Kiran Bedi and she does not need a cape or any superpower to prove herself as worthy leader and convincing her to run for the post of chief minister was a master stroke by Amit Shah. It created a ripple effect and one could see shoulders of AAP supporters drooping with a very good prospect of losing Delhi election. Kiran Bedi in a matter of less than 24 hours galvanized BJP and hopes ran high. But behind the scene there was dust of dissent and disappointment for many Delhi BJP leaders who felt it was their time to shine after years of hard labor and service to their party. But it was not be and the sudden lateral elevation of Kiran Bedi a rank outsider and critic of BJP and Modi was not taken very well. The smiles which we saw on the dais and all the hand weaving of all the local leaders was forced on them by the party high command.

But soon Kiran Bedi started to fumble and her gaffs became the cause of embarrassment and an opportunity for AAP. Her direct attacks on Kejriwal were not well received and the dignified response of Arvind Kejriwal and always talking about the issues hit a nerve with the people and slowly the opinion started to change. Kiran Bedi is one of the liveliest people one can ever hope to come across and her drive, energy and enthusiasm has no bounds, but there lies her weakness. Her outspoken and authoritative approach towards addressing concerns came across as someone who was too eager to please. Her contribution in such a short time was remarkable. But clearly she was underprepared and fumbled throughout her campaign and this smart, bold women of substance was used by the BJP as means to an end and the people were able to see through that.

The idea which is Modi

After achieving the mythical figure 272 seats and more in the parliament back in may 2014, Narendra Modi was not only regarded as a great leader but he became a rallying point for the people of this country. With His victories the statures of our nation grow outside because of his leadership and in a matter of few months gave the people of this country a renewed hope. From a man rose an Idea which was, which is Modi and Modi could fix everything. Come with Modi they said but he was never going to be the chief minister of New Delhi since he has a job which is far more demanding being the Prime Minister of a very large nation.

To make him as the opponent of Kejriwal during the Delhi election was a political blunder and not having a proper cohesive strategy for Delhi was the first nail on the coffin. To make cabinet ministers leave their responsibilities behind and go on the campaign trail was seen as sign of desperation. Modi held four rallies in Delhi with varying level of success and his grand arrival in a helicopter attracted more attention towards the air craft then him. On the other hand Arvind Kejriwal was holding rallies of his own which rivaled the BJP held rallies under Modi which was seen by everyone. The Modi Idea in a city which is populated by a Varity of communities and religions had a different idea. Delhi unlike other states does not derive its identity from a particular language like most states and have people of all spectrums living within and to show the achievements of BJP at the national and international level did not work.

The welcome mat laid down for Barack Obama and the snubbing given to Kejriwal for not being invited for our Republic Day celebration was seen as a mark of disrespect and arrogance. With all his flaws and the mistakes which he had made earlier the people did not like it and he gained more sympathy. To use the occasion of our Republic day as a political platform to push Kiran Bedi into the limelight was brilliantly used by AAP against the BJP in the social media.

Epilogue

“Politics is Local,” these are the eternal words of Tip" O'Neillthe former Unites States Speaker of the house and his words are perhaps the bedrock of fighting elections just as Abraham Lincoln’s eloquent speech at the battle of Gettysburg which defined Democracy. BJP was running on the coattail of Modi and this was the Mantra which will blow away any and every opposition. But they forgot that the people of this city had to endure a lot of problems over the last one year with all the big boys playing politics and completely forgetting the plight of its people. By giving AAP time and thinking victory was bequeathed to BJP it gave to a very bad taste in the mouth of the people.

BJP was blinded by the glory of Modi and it forgot the people. AAP addressed issues and BJP kept shooting Modi out of cannon thinking the sound of its big gun will be heard all over the place. AAP exploded tiny crackers in every street which dwarfed the noise made by BJP. It did not have any known faces except Kejriwal who took hit after hit and many at personal level and he just kept coming back over and over. The resilience shown by this man has to be commended and lessons must be learned by others. Already other political parties have smelled weakness and are no longer afraid of the Modi wave. The myth has been broken and if other political parties have the intelligence to learn from this then BJP could be stopped.

Delhi was not just another election, it was the World Cup of Indian elections. Winning the general election back in May 2014 was a cup of tea for the BJP and lest we forget it was a tea maker who became the rallying point for BJP and gave hope to all of India that a common man can reach the highest echelon of power and it was not reserved for the self entitled. But alas all things must come to an end and in the words of William Shakespeare “A fool thinks himself to be wise, but a wise man knows himself to be a fool,” and that is why they lost. Amit Shah and Company over indulged in every aspect of this election and gave AAP all the opportunities to get back in the game. Nationalistic fervor proved too weak and issues for development became too strong and that is how the BJP Screwed a Cup of Tea called Delhi

Elections in India are all about symbols, personalities and promises and seldom about policies or ideologies. In the recently-held Delhi Assembly elections, Arvind has won and Kamal has lost. Modi's magic has been swept aside by Kejriwal's jharoo. Bedi has lost and so has Modi. Kiran's defeat has dimmed the ray of hope of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of repeating its success story in the rest of the country. The warlords of the badlands of Bihar and UP have taken heart, the scam-tainted Didi of West Bengal finds a breather and the other regional satraps are no more overawed by the mighty war machine of the Narendra Modi-Amit Shah duo. The media motor mouths can't stop talking. The imponderable, nay, the impossible, has happened. Goliath has been felled by David, that too nonchallently between bouts of cough. Did you say Congress? What Congress? Elections are serious business, don't make us laugh.

Delhiites Had Their Say

The people of Delhi have had their say. They wanted a government and they have got one now. Unlike the fractured mandate they had given in 2013 which led to a government that lasted precisely for 49 days before the common-man-Chief-Minister upped and away to Varanasi on the wings of no less than a Prime Ministerial ambition, without so much as a by-your-leave to the people who had voted his party to power, the electorate have given a steam roller majority to the winning party, this time around. Paradoxically, there was no dearth of excitement or thrill during the short run of the government in 2013. In fact, Delhiites had the ringside view of many a midnight drama and high voltage dharna enacted on the historic streets of Delhi by a self-avowed anarchist of a Chief Minister and his troupe of ministers with matching histrionic skills as those of their leader, much to the amusement of an ever alert Media under the benign eye of the Delhi Police which would have no compunction about apprehending a funnily-clad harmless man loitering about Raisina Hill in Lutyen's Delhi even during broad daylight and shutting him up in the cooler on suspicion of being a terrorist.

Return of the Muffler Man

The common-man-and-no-more-the-Chief Minister a.k.a muffler man reinvented himself and descended on Delhi with a vengeance armed with his jharoo. Although he continued to call every party other than his own, corrupt and morally- bankrupt, as he had gone about doing in his previous avatar, he practically prostrated before the people of Delhi and apologised for resigning and walking out on them in 2013, thereby betraying the trust reposed in him by the electorate. He renewed his pledge to root out corruption in public life and the promise to provide cheap electricity and water. Women's safety ranked high among his priorities. People apparently accepted his apology and gave him a second chance to form a government without having to seek support from any other party as it had to the last time.They have put him in the hot seat for the next five year.

Kejriwal's Strength

Kejriwal's humility (apology tendered to Delhiites for walking out on them despite their mandate in 2013), simplicity (muffler man image Vs. Modi's ten lakh rupee suit man image), and connectivity with the man on the street (Modi had been busy forging friendship with Barack Obamas and Shinzo Abes), promises of power and water at subsidised rates (Modi had been busy scoring foreign policy victories) are the principal reasons widely attributed to Kejriwal's stupendous success.

Failure, the Orphan

While success has many parents, failure is an orphan. In the case of Congress, its misrule during its uninterrupted reign of fifteen years in Delhi and ten years at the Centre, and the scores of monumental scams it was embroiled in, alienated the party from the people of Delhi who had become deeply enchanted with the grand old party of the country. If Kejriwal symbolised people's power and stood for the common man's aspirations, Rahul and Sonia Gandhi portrayed incessant family rule and unabashed promotion of self-serving politicians. Even as Delhi went to the polls, the ignominious ouster of Congress from the Delhi politics was a foregone conclusion.

Modi-bashing

As regards BJP, although its last minute entrant and Chief Ministerial candidate, Kiran Bedi, valiantly took on herself the blame for the party's decimation, it is the tallest leader of the party, Narendra Modi who was the focal point of electioneering by the party, that has drawn maximum flak for BJP'S rout from the capital city of the nation which had made him the most popular and towering leader among contemporary politicians of the country. All his political detractors and the media made out the polls to be a referendum on Modi and mercilessly ran him down for the abrupt halt in the party's free run cutting across the length and breadth of the country. This moment was undoubtedly the lowest ebb in the political career of the leader who had choked with emotion while calling his party his mother during his first address to the BJP MPs as Prime Minister-designate not long ago. Where did he fail? What did he do to deserve the most unkindest cut of them all from the people of Delhi who had been having a ringside view of his performance during the last nine months? Should he have resorted to announcing freebies? Should he have settled down for crumpled, shabby kurta, pajamas like the quintessential Indian politician? Was it his suit which allegedly cost ten lakh rupees that made him an anti-people figure? Maybe he should have bad-mouthed Barack Obama who called him a friend instead of criticising Kejriwal, a self-avowed anarchist?

Promises and Implementation

Having put Kejriwal in the hot seat, the people of Delhi would now sit back and expect him to fulfil all his promises. And what are those? AAP is committed to building 20 new colleges, 200,000 public toilets and 47 fast-track courts; besides it had promised bus marshals, 5,000 new buses, 800,000 jobs, 30,000 beds in hospitals, and free WiFi across Delhi city.Top among the priorities of the party are women's safety, cutting electricity costs and ordering an audit of power companies. Implementation of all these promises and projects is going to cost a good deal of political will and commitment beside huge financial support and cooperation from the central government. Keeping the disgruntled elements of the party who could not be accommodated in positions of power, as and when it occurs, would be a big challenge which Kejriwal would have to address. With the track record of Delhi in the issue of women's safety being hopelessly in tatters, every unfortunate incident of crimes against women which would occur during the next five years is going to be big drain on the people's goodwill for the government. This is especially so since Delhi Police falls under the Home Ministry of the Government of India and not under the Delhi Government. If the state government is found wanting in implementation of the slew of projects it has promised on account of non-cooperation by the central government or shortage of funds, it would not wash well with the people on whose high hopes AAP has ridden to power.

Lessons for AAP

A word about the people of Delhi. They have gambled. They voted for AAP knowing well that the party doesn't have prior experience in governance or administration and that the party machinery comprises a loosely-held ragtag bunch of a few well-meaning individuals, susceptible to pressures of implosion. They did not seem to realise that having the state government on the same page as the central government would have been to their own advantage; or, maybe it was part of the gamble. By giving a brutal majority to AAP, they have put that party in a frightening situation where the party doesn't have excuses like shortage of numbers; the absence of an opposition party in the state assembly is likely to cause more harm than good for governance. Thanks to its ideological moorings and strong cadre-base notwithstanding the temporary setback to its show of unity on account of the last-minute induction of Kiran Bedi, BJP is capable of bouncing back into the centre stage of state politics sooner rather than later. Should AAP fail to deliver or break up, the story would be very different, as a highly expectant electorate would demand its pound of flesh. Nor would it do any good to AAP to spread its resources too thin by fighting elections in other states before establishing itself in Delhi and making a name for itself. All the discredited parties which have been lying low in different states are likely to rally around Kejriwal in the hope of riding piggyback on his popularity. The muffler man should shun them like poison. Else, he would be forced to hide his face with his muffler. *****

What is worse than desecrating a temple of God? Why, it is constructing a temple for a man that is what is! Indians lag behind people of no other nationality in lionising their leaders, celebrities, fashionistas and iconic sportsmen and women. How far do they go in doing so? Why, they don't hold back and pull out all the stops in expressing their admiration for their idols and icons. Unfortunately, there is no stopping them from going overboard and deifying the men and women they look up to. Did you ask whether it is right to convert mere men and women into mighty monumental figures to take pride of place among the pantheon of numerous Gods and Goddesses that people in India worship? Well, who is to tell what is right and what is not, in matters of mind and heart?

Advent of Gandhi

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was a true leader of the Indian people who had impassively remained under the yoke of colonialism for hundreds of years and before that under the rule of ruthless invaders of Turkic and Central Asian regions. He was but a spark which ignited the passion of patriotism lying dormant in the people, to rule themselves and live as a free people. His unflinching faith in universal ideals like liberty, equality and fraternity and age-old principles such as truth and non-violence, in contrast to his frail physique and frugal lifestyle, spurred an entire generation of Indians into overcoming doubts, inadequacies, and apprehensions in their struggle against the mighty British Empire and reinventing themselves as the proud rulers of their own destiny. In a sense, all that he did was to set an example by leading an austere life characterised by lofty ideals in the course of realising a nation's tryst with destiny. That understandably made him the supreme leader of his times.

Birth of a Mahatma

But did it make him the final authority on whatever he spoke about including spiritual matters and contentious issues like communal harmony and Secularism? Food for thought! His countrymen revered him to the extent of lapping up every word of his as the gospel truth and unquestionable finalities in every sphere of life. Gandhi became a touchstone and a reference point in the Indian political and social circles. The other freedom fighters and political thinkers of his time, holding contradictory views and opinions, were dwarfed by his colossal stature only when they had not been totally eclipsed. He had swept a people who had been languishing in a spiritual and cultural void after centuries of slavery and subjugation by invaders, marauders and unscrupulous imperialists, off their feet by his unique ideology and ingenious ways. He captured their imagination like no other leader immediately before or after him. People's affection and adulation for him swelled up and culminated in a crescendo with the bequeathing of the titles of "Mahatma" and "Father of the Nation" on him.

Temples for Gandhi and Godse

Gandhi's end was sudden and violent. He was killed by a fellow countryman who claimed that he simply had to do it out of a sense of over drive and love for his country. The assassin paid for the killing with his life. Without prejudice to the unpardonable act of one man taking away another's life, who could question Godse's patriotism? After all the years of the killing of Gandhi in 1948, a group of people have made out a case for building a temple for Nathuram Godse. Despite opposition from the followers and ardent admirers of the "Apostle of Peace," who felt revolted at the outrageous proposition of a temple for the assassin, Hindu Mahasabha has been busy championing its cause. A temple for Godse would make a good contrast to a temple which is already in existence for Gandhi in Orissa, to say the least. Apart from rekindling unpleasant memories and keeping the embers of hatred alive, what other purpose would be served by such temples is a big question mark before dispassionate people whose view is free from the cobwebs of prejudice to the bygone historical events and the personalities involved in the events.

Temples Galore

There has been no dearth of heroes in modern India who deserved to be deified and have temples constructed in celebration of their glory, aver their fans and followers. Some of the famous personalities in the fields of cinema, sports and politics, for whom temples have been built, are Rajini Kanth, MGR, Amitabh Bachchan, Khushboo, Sachin Tendulkar and a foreign-born Catholic Sonia Gandhi. It is not unlikely that in a vast country like India where the mindset of the people allows emotions to rule the roost at the cost of a woeful neglect of reasoning and rationality, more and more temples will keep coming up with alarming regularity for celluloid heroes and communal and casteist netas.

Temple for Modi

Although Mr. Narendra Modi has been in active politics and holding positions of power for nearly two decades now, and has been feted and felicitated as a people's leader, someone thought of building a temple for him only recently and went ahead and constructed one in the leader's home state of Gujarat. Mr. Modi was reportedly appalled at the news of the temple and expressed his shock and dismay at the act which he said was against the country's great tradition and culture. He expressed his sense of sorrow and made a fervent appeal to the concerned persons to give up the idea. The state authorities have since removed the 'idol' and asked the developers of the 'temple' to give up its inauguration. Coming closely at the heel of the controversy of Mr. Modi's 'expensive suit' which turned out to be anything but expensive, the absurdity of the latest cause de célèbre, namely the temple episode, has been put to rest.

Mindset of a Temple Builder

What is it that beguiles or bedevils the mindset of the people of India who build temples for mere men and women, no matter how big or great? Is it gullibility, absence of objectivity, lack of education or downright stupidity? In truth, it is none of the above.

If you call the people who built a temple for Sachin Tendulkar uneducated fools, what do you call those who have a decent education, don war paint like some African tribals all over their face, wave the tricolour and dance to the beat and frenzy of music, chants, cheers and yells of adulation at the Cricketer's matches? What do you call those who have christened him the "God of Cricket" or proudly refer to Cricket as a "religion" and not a mere game? What do you call those who deemed it fit to make the reluctant and unwilling Cricketer, who incidentally lacks formal education beyond schooling, a member of the upper house of the Indian Parliament on the sole basis of his spectacular sports career - beacons of wisdom?

Is it only the front-row audience at the cinemas who made Amitabh Bachchan an iconic figure? Why is it fashionable when a Yuppie calls Rajini Kanth "Thalaiva" but not when the front-row audience do so? When starry-eyed young professionals are inspired by a political leader like Narendra Modi, quit their well-paying jobs and join politics, they are supposed to have dedicated their lives to the service of the nation. The poor grass roots supporters of the same leader who do all the ground work of the party and participate in rallies are dubbed misguided youth who waste their time and neglect their families. Why the discrimination and application of different sets of standards to the white collar and blue collar fans and followers? Aren't we a bit too unfair or unkind? How different are the mindsets of these two sets of fans and followers? When it comes to appreciating personalities who are perceived larger-than-life-figures, the fans and followers tend to get carried away! There is a bit of a crazy streak in everyone; a small child hiding in every adult, waiting to burst into the open and drool and scream in ecstasy at the sight of their 'God'. There are no limits, no boundaries, no borders, no bottom lines.....It is hype, hyperbole and superlatives all the way! There is no such thing as modesty or restraint between the hero or star on the one hand and the fan or follower on the other. The same as between a God and the devout!

Leave it to the Object of Worship

The equation between the worshipper and the worshipped is neither to be ridiculed nor to be scoffed at. The ecstasy resulting from the equation is the new high which is beyond the purview of reasoning and the reward for the exultant worshipper. Somewhere along the line are discernible the contours of a temple through the hazy mist of the joie de vivre. It's for the Object of Worship to exercise his prerogative of self-abnegation and decline the status of immortality being perpetuated on him in the form of a temple, as Mr. Modi did.

There being no room for others in the hallowed precincts of the temple, the outsiders may simply eat their heart out and gloat in their state of obscurity! "There is an enduring freshness in what remains strange and obscure which the clichés of greatness can only evoke nostalgia for." - Bauvard, Some Inspiration for the Overenthusiastic.

BBC is adamant on tarnishing India’s reputation by telecasting the banned documentary on its portal even after the request made in the parliament of India by the Home Minister Rajnath Singh. What is the urgency of showcasing the brutality happened to one of the daughters of India? ‘India’s Daughter’ is the name of the documentary which is now preponed to be shown to the world. To add to the pleasure that the documentary derives from the mind of the rapist, they have given a Wahtsapp number for discussion and feedback. What is happening to the world? Why is India approving it of in the first place? This is high time we stopped such documentary that denigrates our land’s reputation to the world.

The previous government did a blunder by allowing the interviewer to get the interview done and the worst is that they did not even ask for the submission of an unedited version of the documentary. BBC is making fun of a brutal incident that shook India completely. We have not even come out of the grief and this black pepper to the injury is enough to let us know that we, India, do not matter, our courts order does not matter, nor does the request of our Home Ministry.

I am not against any documentary that opens our eyes and educates us, but the purpose of this documentary is unknown. This is simply made to entertain the majority of people those who enjoy watching gory incidents and listen to someone’s ordeal. A documentary is shot with a purpose to let the world know of something that they are not aware of. And this video describes each activity in graphics to let users visualize the gory scene. They have mentioned all the internal and external injuries of the victim. The documentary should have been made with a pious purpose. This is just done in order to seek the attention of the world. And what was the hurry of preponing the release on BBC Four and on its portal.

The interviewer mentions shamelessly that she got to know the minutest details of the RAPE, word-by-word. How can someone derive pleasure out of the graphics details of a heinous deed and also by showing it to the people? India should stand united to protest. The government should ban the portal and put a check on video sharing (this documentary). This is an open secret that the movie would be available on all the movie sharing sites for free and users would be able to watch it in a day or two. I have been watching BBC documentaries for years, but today I am very disheartened looking at the extremism.

This is going to portrait Indian men as rapist across the globe as the rapist mentions in video that ….I am embarrassed to even repeat that. What would happen to the family members of the girl/s who have been raped and when the listen or see the brutal graphics of what had happened to their daughter and sisters or friends? Have respect and show courtesy, STOP THE RELEASE of the video.

For decades Delhi has been the center of food revolution in India. This is the city which gave the world butter chicken and tandoori chicken which has now become one of the most popular dishes in the world. Also this city is known for its street food which many foreigners may not find it hygienic or even palatable but average Delhiite prefers eating from these street joints and some of them even rival the top and popular restaurants in this city.

However there is nothing like going out for nice lunch or dinner with friends & family and I am going to list some the best places in Delhi NCR where you can enjoy a very happy dining experience. Also the experience is further elevated when the ambience is perfect for you and your entourage to relax and enjoy quality meal along with fun conversation.

Olive Bar & Kitchen

Located near the picturesque Qutub Minar a very popular place for tourists to visit, this restaurant is well known for serving the best Mediterranean style cuisines and if you want to grab a quick lunch then there Pizza’s are simply delicious.

Lodi the Garden Restaurant

This is one of the few restaurants where one can sit outside and enjoy a scrumptious meal and the experience gets even better if the weather is cool and in winters the eating experience at this place is simply divine. Strategically located at one of the cultural hub in Lodhi Estate, this place is renowned for its Mediterranean, Lebanese, European and continental cooking.

Diva The Italian

This restaurant located in upscale Greater Kailash and serves the best & authentic Italian cuisine and serves the best wood fired Pizza, Pasta & Risotto. GK is very nice place to hang and this joint is altogether not that expensive making it very affordable for people to enjoy good food.

Sevila

Designed in the style of a Spanish Hacienda this place is the perfect destination for those who are into Spanish cuisine. Located at the very regal Aurangzeb Road this place beautifully designed with special impetus to make it one of the Best Romantic Restaurants in Delhi NCR to enjoy food with a loved one.

Mia Bella

This place is one of the most Best Romantic Restaurants in Delhi NCR which overlooks the serine Hauz Khas Lake which makes it one of the few restaurants which gives you the feeling of being close to nature. This is a multi specialty restaurant and serve Italian and continental cuisines.

These are just a few restaurants I have chosen because I have enjoyed eating at all these joints depending upon mood and yes budget. Next time I will write about my experience of eating some of the best street food available in Delhi

Who does not like to go out and eat but most of the time when we are out one has to think about the budget. Let’s face it is just not possible for someone to eat at a premium restaurant every time they go out. But in Delhi NCR region there are many restaurants one can go to and enjoy affordable lunch or dinner. Just because it fits your budget does not mean the food served in these places are average, the fact is it can surprise you with its rich and tasty delicacies which they serve.

Here are few places which will certainly give pleasure to your palate, however one would have to dial down on the ambiance and at times service but the food will not disappoint you.

Paranthe wali Gali Chandni Chowk

If you are in old Delhi and your stomach is growling then this is the place to go and enjoy a hearty meal. The food served here is very good and can be a gastronomical nightmare if you have weak tummy because the food will be greasy and spicy so do not forget to order butter milk which will be full of cream to give some respite to your burning tongue and stomach. You can order sweet or sour depending upon your taste. The place is always full because it is a Landmark and do not be finicky about the service and ambiance.

Kamboj Noida Sector 37

This is a small restaurant with a seating capacity of maybe 30 to 40 odd people and the ambience is also very nice and the service is tolerable. Situated near sector 18 the food served here is great and particularly the vegetarian food and others should really take note. The non veg is also quite good and can be enjoyed by all. This place is highly affordable and they even do takeout.

Rajender ka Dhaba Safdarjung

This is a very busy joint, particularly in the night and the chicken curry is very popular dish here. But the main attraction in this joint is the various tikkas which are served here both veg and non veg. One would have to wait in long queue to order but it is worth the wait.

Frontier Restaurant Karol Bagh

This is one of the oldest eateries in New Delhi. Situated in the very crowded and always bustling Karol Bagh a happy hunting ground for shoppers this place serves some of the best north Indian vegetarian food and they use pure ghee to prepare their food which could prove overwhelming for some because not every day you get to eat such rich food. But eating here is worth it but one would have to tolerate the service and other things but this place is worth a try at least once.

Udupi restaurant Munirka

Want to enjoy typical vegetarian South Indian dishes then this is the place for you. The various delicacies prepared is very authentic and taste the same if you go to south. They have long list of traditional dosa’s which are probably the favorite among the enthusiast. Ambience is nice and service is ok but if you feel like enjoying a late brunch or light evening snack then this is the place for you.

Delhi is famous for many things and food has always topped the charts because for centuries this city has been the epicenter of various cultures bringing their varied culinary skills here thus making it the center for food revolution. Just visit Old Delhi and you will find all sorts of cuisines to enthrall your palate. This is one place where you will find all sorts of vegetarian and non vegetarian dishes made by people who have lived in the old city for generations.

And it is these very people who are still following age old methods to cook mouth watering dishes and Faagio is not only going to be a food search engine giving information about restaurants, they will also talk about history and the particular specialty a restaurant serves. This application is going to be the one stop guide for all foodie who live and visit this historical city.

One would find information about eating joints which are hugely popular in certain part of the city which many may have not even heard of. You will find about places hidden in the narrow alleys of Delhi where if you just take one wrong turn you will miss the place entirely. And it these eating spots which many visit with families to reminisce about old time.

Just thinking about Karim’s of old Delhi, Paranthe Wali Gali and Ghantewala who are probably the oldest and still functioning traditional sweet makers in Delhi will make any Delhite stomach growl. Just near Ghantewala is the famous Amritsari Lassi Wala who makes the creamiest butter milk which one can drink to fight the heat or to calm your tummy after you had some spicy food.

But fret not if this is not your coffee one would also find McDonalds, Pizza Hut etc but to visit this place and not enjoy authentic delicacies is a crime in itself. However it is understandable if you are apprehensive because this place is not known for its ambience and even people who live in other parts of Delhi can suffer from cultural shock when they come here. But this is still the place in this city to enjoy the most authentic dishes at a very reasonable cost.

Karol Bagh is one of the oldest colonies in Delhi NCR and for years the center for shopping and also a place people could simply visit to enjoy food. Here you will find shops and restaurants which have been passed from one generation to the next and it is one of the last vestiges of a bygone era of this city.

When my father came to Delhi in 1968, Karol Bagh was the place where he stayed and he would often regale and reminisce about old times and how he and some of old friends and colleagues would enjoy a cup of coffee in the evening.

Situated in central Delhi and very near to the old city of Chandni Chowk, Karol Bagh is full of history and nostalgia. All one has to do is take a walk at Ajmal Khan Road & Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan road and one can see the symbiosis of old and new.

But enough about history, time to talk about food and some of the famous restaurants in this area.

This place is one of the last reserves in Delhi where one can eat great food at a reasonable price.

Now many of the restaurants I am going to write about are not known for their ambience but the food served here is one of the best in Delhi.

SO DO NOT BE SQUEAMISH! If you are their Just enjoy.

Roshan de Kulfi

Anyone who has lived in this city and visited Karol Bagh must have had the famous Kulfi Faluda at Roshan de Kulfi. But that is not the end of it, this place also serves eclectic varieties of food like chhole bhaturas and other snacks. One may have to wait for while before they can place an order for the Kulfi’s on a busy day but then this place is mostly busy.

Frontier Restaurant

If you ever feel like eating authentic North Indian vegetarian food then this should be on your bucket list because they only use pure Ghee to make all their dishes which can be a huge problem for your cholesterol. But as my father would say “you live only once” so there is nothing wrong in indulging once in a while.

Changezi

People will swear by the Chicken Dishes served in this place and is known for its Tandoori Chicken and Mutton Korma. Just walk by this place and one can smell the aroma which forces people towards it like the sirens of Greek mythology. Only difference once you had your fill you get to leave.

Ganash Restaurant

If you want to eat fish then this is one of the few restaurants in Delhi NCR where you will get very delicious Fish Fry and Fish Tandoori served with green chutney. Also you will get egg pakora and pretty decent Kababs. Not much for ambiance but it more than compensates for the food one gets to eat here.

Punjab Sweet Corner

This place has some of the best snacks one could eat and often people throng to this place for quick bite. One can have variety of food items from Golgappa chaat and Dahi Bhalla to stuffed Paranthas of Aloo (potato) or Paneer (Cottage cheese). Also one can enjoy grilled sandwich burgers and chowmein making this place a kind of Indian version of fast food.

Om Corner Chhole Bhature

The name itself is dead giveaway but has to be mentioned because they kind of live up to the expectation of the food served in this place. The Bhature’s are very crisp and I think they use premium oil to fry them.

Other honorable mentions are Khurana Restaurant, Karim’s, Shudh & Prem Dhaba. Now there are several places one can grab a quick bite like Mcdee, Pizza Hut & KFC but something about the places which I used to visit every time we went for shopping just makes me happy.

Soon a new app will be launched called Faagio and it will not only talk about listings of restaurants but also bit about history. For the time being if you are in Karol Bagh, do try these places, they are one of a Kind.

Non-Disclaimer

If the characters, places and events of this allegorical short story remind you of real life people and happenings, let me assure you, dear reader, they were meant to.

First there was intrusion by treachery by a savage warmonger of the wilderness (hereinafter known as Ughs for his savagery and ugly ways), followed by breaking into the estate and a body blow which stunned the pious object of attack (Goody) who was not in the least prepared for it, having never even dreamt that such barbarism existed on earth. Then slow poison was injected for long periods of time with alarming regularity. Self esteem was sought to be crushed by brutal dishonoring of all that was loved and worshipped; demolition and desecration of symbols of faith; terror struck at noble hearts pining for spiritual solace ... Ughs captured some children on the estate and gave them his own identity just as he would brand cattle and appropriate them as his own property. After a long period of life in captivity, the children soon forgot their original identity and began identifying themselves with Ughs.

One day Ughs was joined in his black deeds by a rival philanderer (Baddy) from the same wilderness as the former, with a different shade of the same kill-and-loot culture. Being, however, more organized in his sinister deeds, Baddy subjugated not only Goody but also Ughs, and proclaimed himself the lord and master of the estate which he systematically stripped off its fabulous riches. With Goody still reeling under the body blow from Ughs, Baddy took upon himself the onerous task of teaching the former how to save his soul by a mere switching of faith, calling him all the while a sinner.

One day Baddy received devastating news from home about his own house being set upon fire by a much bigger thug. Before rushing home to save his house, he decided to widen the gulf between Goody and Ughs lest they should come together and gang up against him some day in the future.

Then came the unkindest cut of them all. In a classic case of the burglar crying blue murder on being caught, Ughs donned the mantle of the innocent victim and charged Goody of planning to persecute him and demanded his "due share" of the estate. Baddy was only happy to oblige. With Baddy gone after the deed was done as a parting shot, never to return, the other two started living as neighbors. But not in peace.

Once gangrene had set in, the affected limb had to be amputated. The performing surgeon was a quack and his scalpel a rusty knife. The surgery over, the patient picked up the threads and moved on to lead a normal life, well, as normal a life as one could after a part of one dies. Time and faith helped in the healing of the wound. Ughs could not bear to see peace and tranquility in the neighbor’s estate and tried hard to spoil it all by spitting on the face of Goody off and on, and breaking his window panes, crying "foul" all the time. Nor would he agree to return the precious silver stolen by him while going away to live on his own. To make matters worse, he kept company with the local hoodlums with whom he shared the booty of the stolen silver.

On his part, Goody never went beyond stopping the hand that rose to strike him. After waiting for long in futility for Ughs to have a change of heart, it dawned on the peace loving Goody that installation of additional locks and bolts on the door and strengthening of the fence were not adequate to have lasting peace. He patiently waited on and on and then, in a swift move, punished the villain by forcefully effecting a divide of the latter's house when an appropriate opportunity presented itself, in sweet revenge. Having been foolish enough to shoot himself in the foot, the smarting villain now goes about beating his wife and children in impotent rage and is threatening to set his own house on fire, hoping that the fire would spread and devour Goody's house as well.

Goody is pushed to investing precious resources and time in fighting battles that he is not interested in, being preoccupied with the developing of his estate, what with it having fallen in a bad way with its forceful occupation and crying for elaborate renovations. Such is his predicament. The Evil Empire of Ughs is bound to perish under the collective weight of its own sins when nemesis comes calling. All the same, the peace loving Goody has a lot of fire fighting to do. In the meanwhile, the quack that performed a shoddy job of surgery had been thrown out and his rusty knife broken and buried. Wistful memories of a huge undivided estate which has now shrunk in size still flood Goody's mind and haunt him like ghosts that refuse to go away even after the purge. But doesn't mooning over a lost limb only bring more misery by making one feel the imaginary itchings and pains of a ghost organ?

What does Goody do? Forget it all? No way. Forgive, maybe. Forget, definitely not. He realises that forgetting would lull him into a self-induced coma of complacency and render his estate vulnerable to poaching by intruders yet again. Eternal vigilance, the price of liberty! Learn the lessons of history and watch out for the vermins on the premises lest they should grow into monsters, the estate having been barely exorcised of fading ghosts. Help the new generation of rightful inheritors of the estate build, beside strong fences, an equally strong moral fibre and tap the inexhaustible and inestimable reserves of self esteem at their command, long forgotten. Teach them an unvarnished account of the glorious past of the estate, without omitting its dark chapters. For to hide or obfuscate is to be ashamed. There is nothing to be ashamed of. Most importantly, beware of quacks and their rusty knives of the pseudo Secularism brand.

There was a Rajesh Khanna starrer by the name of "Dushman," directed by Dulal Guha in the early 1970s. It also had Meena Kumari, Mumtaz, Bindu, Johnny Walker, Rehman and Asit Sen in the cast. The movie was a box office hit thanks to the offbeat story line, excellent music and great performance by the actors. The movie was based on a story written by one Virendra Sharma. The story briefly reads something like this.

The hero (Rajesh Khanna) is a happy-go-lucky truck driver. He is accustomed to boozing a lot and driving his truck recklessly. One day, while on a long trip to transport some goods to another town, he breaks the journey at a village on the way as it becomes dark. He spends the night at the house of a prostitute (Bindu) and gets delayed in the morning. He resumes his journey, and to make up for the lost time, drives too fast. Unfortunately, he continues to drink and loses control of the truck. He makes an accident and a poor farmer passing by is run over and killed. The truck driver is truly remorseful and does not run away. He gets arrested by the police and is produced in the court.

Now the filmy judge (Rehman) does not want to go through the usual motions of sending the errant truck driver to jail for a few years as it would help neither the victim's family, which is suffering on account of the death of the sole breadwinner, nor in the reformation of the culprit. He therefore, sentences the culprit to live with the victim's family for two years and look after them as the deceased would have, had he not died.

Nobody is happy with the unique verdict - neither the old parents of the deceased, nor the widow (Meena Kumari), who passionately hates the driver; nor the driver himself. However, the driver bravely stays on in the village in repentance of his wanton act of killing, cultivates the piece of land belonging to the family and helps out every single family member and wins their affection. In the process, he successfully fights and beats the evil landlord of the village who covets everybody's land and harasses the hapless womenfolk. He ends up as a true hero of the whole village, including the affected family. He manages even to romance a village belle (Mumtaz) in true Hindi film style.

In the meanwhile, the period of two years of sentence is over. The driver is free to go away but he does not want to. He wants to spend the rest of his life with the family as one of them. He begs the judge to extend his sentence to life term to be spent in the service of the family affected by his carelessness and wreckless ways of life. The culprit is now a truly reformed person and a people's hero!

Now if this story of the errant truck driver reminds you, dear reader, of some celebrity who has been hitting media headlines for all the wrong reasons throughout his life in the public glare, well, the similarity ends there. No filmy hero is going to read this post, have a change of heart, throw away his hardly earned filthy riches and become a true people's hero by leading a life of atonement in the service of the people. There are miles to go, crashes of all sorts to make, wild oats to sow, few million bucks to spend to buy name and fame in quantities obscenely disproportionate to the fabulous sums lavished by the adulating crowds.... If a few lives get snuffed out in the bargain, and one chooses to read the legend on your body hugging T shirt as "Be Inhuman," that is sheer tough luck. There is no business like show business. Hundreds of crores of rupees are riding on your shoulders. You have to deliver as you are part of the film fraternity which is incestuously closely knitted and thick as thieves. In short, the show must go on, give or take a life. Period.

No, this isn’t about erectile dysfunction nor is it about the universal complaints of women as to why it only takes two minutes for men to have an orgasm? Maybe because men like it fast and it is even better if the food we crave for can also be prepared in two minutes. Imagine two minutes of sex, two minutes to make Maggi Noodles (the plot thickens), one minute to shove it in our mouth and watch tv for the rest of the day. What a perfect life! I will be making several innuendos and puns in this write-up which may or may not be intentional. So beware!

Getting back to the point, let’s talk about the issue at hand and leave the puns aside for a while (but god knows it’s hard). All hell has broken loose after many labs across India found high levels of lead and mono-sodium glutamate or MSG, a taste enhancer in the Maggi Noodles. Maggi is one of those products so popular in India, that it doesn’t even need any advertising. I know people who would carry Maggi packets when they travel abroad. I know this because I used to be one of them. So what the hell happened?

In just one week the share price of Nestle; the company which manufactures and promotes Maggi Noodles and other affiliates like its soup variants has lost over ten thousand crores! The share price is becoming more flaccid every day. One questions the sudden concerns of the Government regarding our health. Truth be told, we already consume vegetables which are full of pesticides and no amount of trying purify drinking water through RO system is going to resolve the problem of arsenic level in the water we drink everyday.

I appreciate respective initiatives of the state governments who have taken an arbitrary and popular decision to ban Maggi and all other brands which falls in its family. However this sudden interest in our physical welfare, justly met with suspicion and skepticism, is unfounded because in the past several years whenever a food product came under suspicion, somehow they managed to make the problem magically disappear. But it seems this time around things might be different, but in the words of the Zen Master “We Will See.”

The fact being, it is quite possible that Maggi and several other fast food items in their quest to taste better might have used chemicals and adhesives to make the product even more addictive. In that way fast food companies are no different from drug dealers who buy 100% pure cocaine and chop it up several times by adding various chemicals like Ketamine (Horse tranquilizers) which makes the already addictive drug even more dangerous, so it is quite possible fast food companies do the same and use some chemicals which make products like Maggi tastier.

Obesity is a problem which is well understood in the West, particularly the United States and that is why McDonnalds now offer healthy salads. The fact is that India is an extremely unregulated country, where corporation can run wild and the food and beverage industry has time and again failed to hold them to the standard which they promise. Many companies have blatantly violated our laws because of corrupt bureaucracy, our apathetic politicians and our political and legal system in general.

Food items like Maggi are so easy to make and are indeed delicious and over the years it seems we have forgotten the value of a healthy meal, especially in the fast life of cosmopolitan cities. People prefer eating maggi without vegetables and I am one from the guilty parties. But with age, some wisdom and also since my body no longer have the constitution to sustain fast food on a regular basis, I have arrived to a logical conclusion, action must be taken and strict fines must be imposed. Sure it causes problems to the corporations but the overall safety and health of the people of India depends upon a fair and impartial investigation. This two minutes dysfunction with our health must come to an end.

Pharmaceuticals companies run illegal tests in India but few people know, because they have a very powerful lobby to shut the voice of reason and justice. Medicines which are banned in the west are sold in India because of political oversight!

Studies have shown the effect of obesity directly related to fast foods. The issue is not just with Maggi but a detailed analysis of all items has to be carried out like the biscuits we eat, potato chips and wafers etc.

I am not anti corporation or anti fast food, all I am asking for is some strict regulation and the high standards which most of the time are maintained in the West. India cannot simply be a testing or a dumping ground for companies because life is “cheap” and there are “plenty more” where we come from.

A dream of a foodie is to discover new taste every day. Every now and then I would come across a name of a restaurant and it would pull me towards it like a magnet! This urge compelled me to check out South Campus restaurants that catered to students. The one that specially caught my attention was BYD. The Big Yellow Door looks every bit as clandestine as its name suggests. I was instantly drawn to it.

Getting off my auto in the scorching heat made me wonder if coming so far just to taste their 'Nachos with cheese' would actually be worth the effort. Anyway I put that thought aside the second I saw the slightly tilted 'Big Yellow Door' that was the entrance to the restaurant! It was more cute than cool. Entering the restaurant with heightening anticipation, I heaved a sigh of relief at being saved from the heat. As reputation goes, BYD always has a long queue for reservation. Fortunately not many wanted to brave the scorching sun that day and I easily got a table.

Securing my place in the restaurant, I looked around and every antique in the restaurant made me gasp at how beautifully decorated it was! The restaurant walls are beautifully carved in wood. They have been very smart with their decorations, painted beer bottles and stones enshrine their niches and walls. The dim light soothes you down instantly, creating a comfortable environment which you wouldn't want to leave.

After looking around and being awestruck I finally pulled the menu-card to check out the menu. Good lord, they had so much to offer!

Sticking to my predetermined choice, I ordered one Nachos with cheese and even though am not a sweet tooth, the drink that the couple next to me were sipping made me curious so I ordered an Oreo Shake. I also ordered Pasta in Basil Pesto sauce only accounting to the fact that it's my favourite and the price was very accommodating!

I placed my order and sipped water while listening to the music as I waited for my order.

I asked the waiter to serve everything together and so he did. To my surprise, it was more than two people could eat! Overwhelmed by the quantity of the food, I digged in carefully in my pasta and good heavens! It was the best Pesto sauce I had tasted in quite sometime. The only little disappointment was the absence of olives in my pasta. I optimized by taking the olives from my nachos in every bite, so it wasn't a deal breaker.

The Nachos looked right out of a food magazine and tasted even better. They were more appetizing than they looked. I could barely finish half of both dishes when my stomach gave up, my tongue however could chuckle over the extraordinary taste of another plate full. Anyway I conceded and asked the waiter to pack the rest of my food. I sipped my Oreo shake and it crackled in my mouth. The melting taste of the chocolate and the crunchy Oreo made a mouthful of a sip. Two sips down my throat, I realized how heavy it was! The entire meal filled me up till my throat and that too in an addictive delightful way!

BYD has aced taste, quality and quantity all at the same time. In my eyes it was every bit a student's wonderland. I made a mental note to thank the friend who suggested the place and paid the bill after the waiter handed over my packed food. This is why I saved the commentary on the service for the end. The staff is so friendly and concerned with your comfort that you would feel like talking to an old friend! They make sure you find a table and show genuine regret at any inconvenience caused at their expense. The comfort of the customer is their major concern. All this on top of the ecstatic feeling in my taste buds, prepared me to confront the heat outside. It was every bit worth the visit and so much more. The packed food in my hand was proof! The entire way back I hoped that I would get hungry again and eat the pasta in my bag.

Being a Delhite, at some point or the other we have all heard of, if not been to the Jama Masjid road where Delhi's best Mughlai foods are famed to have originated. The stories about the food from this place have been told and re­told to the point that they have become fabled and are now perhaps engraved forever in the top ten places to eat in Delhi. The tales about these places are never ending, and in a quest to find any sort of credibility in their ridiculous popularity, I paid a visit to one of the most frequented restaurants in Jama Masjid; Al­Jawahar.

Jama Masjid is a pretty famous landmark among Delhiites, with the mosque being a central point of Old Delhi. Situated off the Netaji Subash Marg and located west of Red Fort, the way towards Al­Jawahar is through the street directly opposite Jama Masjid's gate no. 1. Entering into the street, which remains busy be it 12 in the afternoon or 1 o'clock at night, the big red board of Al­Jawahar immediately comes into focus. Perhaps one of the main reasons why Al- Jawahar continues to be held so high among us Delhiites is that it remains open so late into the night, giving us foodies an option to gorge at during our night time prowls.

Entering into the restaurant, you are led down to a lower basement sort of area where the seating arrangements are provided for the customers. As you wait for someone to come and take your order, the realisation dawns on you that although these restaurants have now spread out in chains, this is perhaps the place where it all started; the origin of serving Mughlai food. This could perhaps be where Akbar's chef prepared him his sheermals, or may be where Noor Jahan was impressed by their soft nihari rotis. Sitting here and wondering about all the tales that could be true, you can't but feel that this is as vintage as it gets.

After you give in your order, the service provided felt as sometimes good, sometimes ok, and sometimes downright neglected. But once the food is served, all you can do is let go of all restraints and dive in.

The taste was what you can expect from a typical Mughlai restaurant, rich in flavour and scaring the wits out of any health conscious person, as there was oil visibly floating in their gravies. The chicken burra, supposedly a Mughlai speciality, was a bit of a disappointment, as we found it lacklustre in its flavour and dry in taste. The khameeri roti (which is basically tandoori roti with a few mughlai tweaks) too tasted really good when hot and soft, but given the general size and the thickness of the dough used, that didn't last long. And once gone cold it becomes more of a task than a treat to bite into them.

The chicken curry which we ordered was one of simple preparation, but making it extravagant beats the purpose of a chicken curry. The meat was succulent, and juicy with two good pieces served. People with a taste for spicier food would probably find the chicken jahangiri more suited to their palate, for it looked more sumptuous and had more flavours added to it. Next up came the mutton qorma, and we all had high expectations regarding this dish. Although the food preparation was good, with the gravy rich in oil and flavour, what was disappointing was a lack of a better piece served up front. It felt like there were no more pieces to dive into after just three or four bites, and that left us feeling somewhat unfulfilled.

Any outing into a Mughlai restaurant is incomplete without their customary dessert firni, which, I felt, again lived up to all expectations. A simple kheer prepared from milk and rice, it was sweet and satisfying, what a traditional dessert is all about. All in all the food was not bad, but you are left feeling slightly disappointed, having perhaps not been served with anything "extraordinarily"

tasty.

The price at which their food is offered seemed high, and a hearty meal from Al­ Jawahar would cost you around 300-­350 per person. The best thing I found about this place was not it's food, but the fact that it remained open till late at night. Over­rated and a general lack of enthusiasm for any sort of improvement in their food summed up the experience of my visit to this place.

Life was much simpler growing up in the 1980s and 90s because we did not have lot going on back then. There was no cable TV or fast food outlets like Pizza Hut or Dominos. The only amusement park we had was Appu Ghar which is now closed and every year in the month of November we would go to India International Trade Fair. My mother for this arduous journey would prepare her own version of sandwiches. The entire experience was exciting because it was fancy and it was one of those rare moments when we all got to eat potato chips (Uncle Chips), usually servedon special occasions. Anyway it was a simpler time yet in many ways tumultuous with riots, terrorism and assassinations.

But still growing up in Delhi in the last century was not all that bad. Life was slow, people still talked to each other and I played outside without any fear in our Mohalla.

It was the 80s and television had just forayed into the lives of many middle class Indians who previously considered it a luxury item. In 1981 my father bought our first TV and it was Dyanora black and white set. It soon became the center of our house, a mantel piece on top of which fake plastic flowers were placed and a special cover was bought to protect the TV from dust. It was indeed “neighbor’s envy owner’s pride” though that catch phrase belonged to some other TV company (Onida). The days of going to the neighbor’s house to watch some of the most popular programs was coming to an end. Owning a color TV, Fridge, VCR and VCP back then was still a distant dream unless you had someone living in the Middle East. Back then an electronic item to smugglers was what heroin and cocaine is to today'sgoons. Also not many people owned a car and owning one was as good as being a royalty. The plus side was it was safe to walk and getting hit by car was far and few. At least that is what I think.

There were no multiplexes or malls to go to or amusement parks. Summer or winter vacations were spent with relatives who either visited us or we visited them. The concept of taking an actual vacation had still not arrived for most folks. I must also say the environment was much cleaner and the air was crisp and fresh, something which is impossible to even fathom these days. Latest English films were released in our theatres after months and sometimes may be after a year. We also had no access to porn and the only way possible was to rent a color tv and VCR from the parlor when the parents were out. To us watching Porn was a rare privilege but these days Porn is just a mouse click away.

Life was quite and the TV programs were broadcasted only few hours in a day and if I remember correctly, the timings were between Six PM to Nine PM in the evening and then all lights out. Not many apartment and housing societies were in existence either and people lived in close knit communities without barriers.

I remember, during summers people would sleep in their verandas and if any delicacy was prepared it was shared among neighbours. Doors and windows were always open and children would walk up to practically anyone’s house to drink a glass of water. I still remember when one of our neighbor purchased a fridge and all of us children lined up just to drink cold water! If guests were visiting, advanced notice was given, extra ice chips and cold drinks were stored to be served. People also used to borrow each other’s furniture for special occasions like engagement etc.

I also played a lot in the evening and not concerning myself with what was on television and looling back I would say, playing with my friends felt much better than playing video games. Back in the day it was all analog and we had no clue what the hell was digital. Also festivals like Holi and Diwali were special because the entire neighbourhood would get together and celebrate as one. In my house it was a ritual to prepare rice idli with coconut chutney and sambahr on holi as we were the only south Indian family living in that locality totally assimilated which was predominately dominated by people from Uttar Pradesh and Punjab and this was one particular South Indian dish which everybody loved. It was a good neighbourhood and my family felt safe. Not once were we ever made to feel any different.

Recently I was talking with my niece who is almost twelve years old and when I told her we did not have any computers or internet when I was growing up, she completely flipped out and asked me how in the world we managed to communicate. I replied, by writing letters or by booking trunk calls which took another ten minutes to explain. Come to think of it, one had to be either very rich or a senior government servant to have the privilege of owning a telephone. The fact was if you booked for telephone installation it would take months and even years before you got a connection because back then it was all about how well connected you were. People used to have locks on their telephones in homes and at offices and one would cringe if you asked to make just one phone call. Also telegrams would scare the hell out of people because usually it was used to deliver bad news.

But all started to change in the 90s with economic liberalization and opening of our markets. Thanks to former Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao, now long forgotten by the bourgeois and by his own political party, who revived our fortunes. India saw its largest growth after independence and people no longer had to wait for years to own a telephone connection, even cars became affordable. VCR gave way to DVD and fridge and color television adorned every household. Even Children have cell phones these days. They spend more time talking or playing mindless games. The parks which were once filled with the noise of children playing are now empty and all one sees are the old people walking or sitting, sharing their sob stories about how they barely get to speak with their children and grandchildren.

I may not have had access to a cell phone or the internet, I may have not owned a motorcycle or even a car back when I was growing up and for the record I was twenty one years old when I first saw an actual porn video. Fact is, it was a good childhood, an innocent childhood which allowed me to mature emotionally at the right pace. I feel very happy when I see some remnants of innocence still lingering to be exhausted in my niece before she is forced to grow up. Kids these days know things I would not have understood if I was hit on the head when I was a teenager. We may have all the modern luxuries but there is disconnect and we are running so fast, our eyes have barely enough time to focus and notice maybe the various milestones of life are arriving too soon.

When people ask me what my thoughts are on Pakistan, I simply say one thing “Cognitive Dissonance.” It was Dr. Leon Festinger who coined this term and for the better part of the last fifty years psychologist have conducted several experiments to give more meaning to this very broad term which just keeps unraveling itself.

Dr. Festinger concluded that “when mental stress or discomfort experienced by an individual who holds two or more contradictory beliefs, ideas, or values at the same time, or is confronted by new information that conflicts with existing beliefs, ideas, or values” and Pakistan falls right into this category.

Ever since, the birth of this new nation which was created on the premise of fear, loathing and paranoia, the obsession to cause injury to India has been the national past-time in Pakistan. Starting from 1948, with the invasion of Kashmir, to the ill-conceived war of 1965 and the genocide committed in East Pakistan in 1971 which concluded with the birth of a new nation in the form of Bangladesh. East Pakistan separated after Pakistani military conducted one of the most under reported genocide in recent history with America turning a blind eye. Pakistani soldiers and sadly even senior officers raped women and murdered hundreds of thousands people and all these actions were blindly accepted as logical because Pakistan was protecting its Sovereignty.

This article is an on the surface psychological evaluation of Pakistan which delves into various physiological prognosis and mental disorders based upon consistent actions of a nation in the nearly seventy years of its existence.

Cognitive Dissonance: To describe Pakistan’s Cognitive Dissonance, all one has to see are its past actions. They have used religious extremism as a means to wage proxy war over India and they know this action will prove detrimental in their own obliteration. No amount of elucidated reasoning is going to change that because they are simply warped within their own fears, shortcomings and insecurities which are too deeply ingrained which prevent logic and reason to prevail.

Another reason to site Cognitive Dissonance was the desire by the Pakistan army and politicians to enter into the debilitating Yemen conflict. Entire state machinery was used to win public opinion with the call for Jihad to fight heretics and traitors because Sunnis believe Shias to be non-Muslims using Parochial Sunni Religious Dogma to justify this course of action. But credit must go to the Pakistani public for showing maturity and logic by taking a very bold and pragmatic decision not to support sending troops to Yemen.

Not to mention sending its over stretched military would not only create tactical problem it would culminate into strategic blunder because Pakistan and Iran share a long border. At home the situation of sectarian violence which has been perpetuated against the minority Shia population which is 20% strong would further worsen.

Borderline Personality Disorder(BPD) is mental disorder where a patient suffers from being emotionally unstable which leads to many complications. In the case of Pakistan its ability to asses’ situations with logic and reasoning is slowly eroding which has led to amalgamations of social, economical and political problems which are diluting this nation. I have done my best to describe few of the Characteristics & Traits of BPD in the context of Pakistan.

Anger:Clearly Pakistan suffers from unresolved anger issues which started from the time of Partition to losing East Pakistan, watching its proxy war not going according to plan and never being able to upstage India at an international stage.

Always and Never Statements:The state security apparatus the ISI have always been used to give logistic support to Jihadi elements like Hafiz Saeed and to launch terror strikes across the border. But when questioned they always say the ISI is not involved and that Pakistan never supports terrorism.

Self Victimization:It was a very unfortunate when over hundred students were brutally murdered by Pakistani Taliban in a Karachi high school. It was an act of self depravation on the part of a terror outfit nurtured, supported and funded by the state. However when they cry as a victim of terror when the injury was clearly self inflicted, it is impossible to buy this premise. Classic case to quote would be the Peshawar school massacre carried out by Pakistani Taliban a entity created by Pakistan.

Baiting: Pakistan has always tried to bait India by raising the Kashmir Issue at an international stage. Now is it wrong? On some level it is politically the right thing to do, but when doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results is an act of foolishness.

Blaming: Right now Pakistan is in great internal turmoil and has always blamed others including India for supporting terrorism in its soil. But we all know the very terror organization which it nurtures is responsible for raging havoc over its own population and other minorities. After the Peshawar school massacre India was blamed for supporting Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan for the murder of 132 innocent school children.

Bullying: The classic case of bullying is the Pakistan Army which has always gotten its way whether it is foreign or domestic policy. It has rigged elections, taken over government and enforced military rule and has forced the elected lawmakers to follow its suit. The Army particularly has never allowed any improvement when it comes to India Pakistan relations. This is because it is good business to have India as an enemy and the Pak Army can fill its coffers and get more money for military hardware.

Catastrophizing: Wheneverthe talk of aid being cut to Pakistan is made, they immediately paint a picture of coming apocalypse and the breakdown of the state and how Jihadist elements will take over. The risk of their nuclear weapons falling in wrong hand is their favorite tune but most experts would agree it is already in wrong hands.

Chaos Manufacture: To some this point succinctly “Taliban &Lashkar-e-Taiba”.

Cheating: Billions of dollars in aid has been diverted to procure weapons and finance terror operations and running clandestine nuclear and missile proliferation whilst the people Pakistan have no basic infrastructure like hospital capable of performing an organ transplants and other intricate surgical procedures.

Circular Conversations: To explain this disorder every time Pakistan starts talks with India on confidence building measures, the talks end up back with the Kashmir issue making the conference moot.

Control-Me Syndrome: It started with the Army controlling the fringe elements in Pakistan to be there plausible deniability and cannon fodder but the dynamics have now changed. The Army and many politicians in Pakistan openly seek approval of people who are controlling narcissistic, antisocial or "acting-out" nature. No politician has the courage to stop Hafiz Saeed or put an end to the Haqqani network and the Army cannot live without them.

Denial: Even today many Pakistanis will not agree that it was the mistake made by their leaders and generals which led to the separation of East Pakistan. The second case to be made is when they say they are the victims of terrorism perpetuated by others, whilst knowing willfully the problems faced by them is of their own making.

Dependency: The Chronic reliance for Pakistan is America, Saudi Arabia and China. From its feeble conception the most powerful individual after the army chief of staff in Pakistan was the American Ambassador. However in the last three decades the petro dollar of Saudi Arabia and China dolling weapons has taken precedence to America. Either way unlike India, Pakistan cannot endure any economic sanctions if it loses its dependency.

Depression: It is the people of Pakistan who are in depression due to apathy and lack of concern by the government to improve their lives. This country is still trying to eradicate chicken pox decease which no longer exist in all most all third world counties. Even today people are living a life of perpetual servitude because of the death grip landowners have over them.

Domestic Theft: Some of the richest people in Pakistan are the powerful landowners who are also politicians and other businessmen who rarely pay taxes or they simply don’t. Only 0.57% of Pakistanis from a population of close to two hundred million pay tax. Also in an article which was published in The Christian Science Monitor, Pakistan loses around four percent of its GDP due to power shortages and there is also massive theft of electricity. Since many people do not pay taxes and there is energy problem which has spiraled out of control.

Pathological Lying: Whenfacedwith insurmountable evidence of direct collusion between Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and ISI who planned and executed the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai, Pakistan squarely lied of any involvement of its state actor’s. They lie when presented with evidence of their support of Taliban in Afghanistan.

Push Pull: Theirforeignpolicy is bases on a push pull factor and the best example is to raise the Kashmir issue at international stage and then faced with the prospect of losing, immediately pull back and ask for resumption of dialogue. Just few months ago the tension at the international border in Kashmir was heating up due to constant firing but the unexpected and robust response given by the Indian Army which is usually asked to show restrain came as a surprise and then the behavior changed and Pakistan again pushed for talks which India rightly refused. But after few months Prime Minister Narendra Modi sent his foreign secretary to Pakistan and immediately after that they were back to same old trick by testing India by releasing Zakiur-Rehman Lakhvi one of the architect of 26/11 Mumbai attacks.

Passive-Aggressive Behavior: The Pakistan Army epitomizes classic passive aggressive behavior pattern by making threats but ensuring not going over the top. Former army Chief and President Parvaz Mushfrraf is a classic example who often talks about normalizing relations with India but then immediately goes on offensive and attacks.

Sabotage: Just after the Lahore declaration in 1999 when India and Pakistan came close to resolving various issues, Kargil happened. This conflict brought these two nuclear power nation on the brink of a nuclear war when reports of nuclear launch control was given into the hands of field commanders which is a direct countermand of nuclear launch protocols. Nawaz Sharif had to high tail to Washington on a fourth of July weekend and had to plead to President Bill Clinton to exert American influence over a rogue Pakistan Military which enjoys no oversight of its actions. The Kargil conflict of 1999 and the attack on Parliament in 2003 and the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks played a role of sabotage in improving relations between India and Pakistan.

Selective Competence: over the years with support from various nations involved in nuclear and ballistic missile proliferation Pakistan has acquired and even perfected its nuclear and missile arsenal over the years but when it comes to improving infrastructure like power generation and setting up industries it has failed.

Situational Ethics: The concept of good terrorist and bad terrorist is the best example. Afghan Taliban is good and Pakistani Taliban is bad. Lashkar-e-Taiba when it comes to carrying out terror attacks in India and targeting minorities in Pakistan is good. It is all about the end justifies the means for the greater good.

Tunnel Vision: Since1947the sole purpose for the existence of Pakistan as nation has been to destroy India because of the lost glory of Islamic dominance for nearly 800 years. This Myopic attitude has sadly proved a great impediment to this young nation which has long forgotten the vision of by its founder Mohammad Ali Jinnah who is probably the classic case of cognitive dissonance. From being a secular state, Pakistan is now the bastion of Islamic global terror and dysfunction. Letting puritanical Islamic religious dogma play a vital role in its society will eventually and irrevocably fracture this nation blinded by religion and profusion of hate.

I end this article with a quote from one of the most profound thinkers of our time Noam Chomsky,

“Dream is not that which you see while sleeping it is something that does not let you sleep”

APJ Abdul Kalam

Enough has already been written some might say, about President Kalam, but I say the more we write, the more we talk and most importantly remember his ideas and vision, the better our lives and the lives of our countrymen would be. I was very hesitant to write about this unassuming man who I have the misfortune of never meeting in person or even just have glimpse of his silhouette. But an encouragement from an old schoolmate of mine, gave me a renewed strength to write or maybe it was just divine intervention.

O Captain! my Captain! our fearful trip is done

On 27th July 2015 our own Missile Man, Bharat Ratna and former President of our Republic, APJ Abdul Kalam passed away the way I suppose he always intended, which was interacting with future generation of Indians. Is it possible he timed his own death? We will never know but what will always remain alive with us are his ideas which I hope we are able to keep ignited for decades to come. It might be blasphemy to call President Kalam a prophet but he was a poet and a philosopher who gave our country a firm footing in international arena through his rockets so we may never be bullied again.

If pre-independent India had Mahatma Gandhi, the post-independent India had Kalam and we were all fortunate enough to witness and watch greatness walk among us mortal beings. I am not trying to turn Kalam into a god or even a demigod because he would not like it. The fact is he was more human than most of us which is in itself more divine.

To say, he rose from a humble background to becoming the President of India, has got be an understatement of the century, he was a lot more! His achievements are unparalleled in the history of post independent India. This is testament to fact, it is still possible to reach the highest office in our country through hard work, dedication, honesty and he proved it.

The example he set on how to go about serving the country must put to shame almost all politicians who are only interested in two things. How to get elected and how much they can steal from the public. But the wealth accumulated by President Kalam was not money; it was the everlasting love, admiration and his sincere service to the people of our country which makes him stand out in his own virtue. Alas! Our politicians have a skin which is thicker than any armor with no consciousness which made them impervious to compassion but not him.

Never did he misuse his position or the power he wielded, in fact he has made sincerity and humbleness synonymous to his name. It would not be wrong to ask our so called VVIP’s to act ‘KALAM’.

But that is a bridge too far.

I cannot imagine a single incident where a leader of some repute died and schools and government offices were not shut down, bringing joy to millions of school children and barely working “Babus”. Our already dysfunctional Parliament was adjourned for two days as a tribute to President Kalam which he would have vehemently opposed because he would rather see our members of parliament work, pass bills and make laws than take two days off. Stalling work in Parliament, a habit employed by both Bharatiya Janata Party and Congress, has caused losses amounting to crores of rupees to our exchequers and it is highly unlikely that any more work will ever get done during the monsoon session. The spectacle of blame game and mudslinging will unfortunately continue at the expense of national interest and all the speeches given to honor President Kalam will render academic.

To paraphrase what Khalil Gibran who wrote,” let us not make a stranger of this poet among his people in the years to come” or he will just be a footnote in our history.

Right now copious articles are being written and I am sure books will be published about him, but is it enough? What is more important is not just to read about him but to inculcate his ideas in the marrow of our bones and pass that along to generations still to come. Our beloved people’s President lived life to the fullest and I am sure he wasn’t afraid of death. I was reminded by an old rendering of Dhammapada verse given to humanity by Gautama Buddha.

Heedfulness is the path to the Deathless.

Heedlessness is the path to death.

The heedful die not.

The heedless are as if dead already.

Yes the heedful die not and our beloved Kalam lived his life following this divine rendering. In the words of Edvard Munch the famous Norwegian painter who said “From my rotting body, flowers shall grow and I am in them and that is eternity.”

Let us preserve this flower for eternity, let the message of our Kalam be never taken away from us or diluted. Let us insure his way of life and his works are taught in every school so our younglings can grow up smelling the flowers of wisdom and his spirituality for eternity which has touched the hearts and souls of over billion people.

Your religious proclivities and orientation and those of your family members were nobody else's concern till you made that highly insidious speech on 'Tolerance' a couple of days ago and set stage for a discussion. I believe you are a Muslim, your wife an atheist and your child is growing up, in all probability, in a religious vacuum. My belief is based on information available on the public domain. I am subject to correction. What is it that unites the three of you as a family? Love and understanding or 'Tolerance'?

India is home to millions of Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and people of so many other religious groupings and communities, agnostics and atheists. Without prejudice to their beliefs and practices, what should unite them all as people of this great country of ours? A healthy respect based on universal love and understanding toward one another or 'tolerance'?

What is this talk of 'tolerance', anyway? It is something like if you kill an animal and eat its meat which I don't approve of but still keep quiet, you would call me tolerant; if, on the contrary, I say "No", you would call me 'intolerant'. Right? When one is forbidden from eating a horse or dog in the US or Europe and pork in certain other countries by the law and local customs, one meekly accepts it. Yet why should the same person necessarily want to eat beef, much to the consternation and angst of Hindus who worship the cow as their own mother, in the only country in the world which they can call their own? Now, who is tolerant here - the Hindus who call for prohibition of cow slaughter in no country other than their own, or those who insist on their 'right' to eat whatever they want, including beef, despite the law, local customs and sentiments of the majority community people?

Hinduism is the most ancient living religion in the world. If there are superstitious beliefs and practices found in that religion, of what concern is it to anybody else except the Hindus themselves? Instead of leaving the matter to the Hindus to tide over their own affairs, why make a movie (PK7), ridiculing Hindu deities, god men etc without giving a thought to the feelings and susceptibilities of the targeted community, especially when you hold your tongue when it comes to discussing your own religion? The lucre of money and fame and fear of threat to your own life? Now, who is tolerant here - Hindus who don't make movies to ridicule other religions or the ones who flagrantly ridicule in their films Hinduism and its ways?

You had referred to the killings of some 'rationalist' writers in one corner of the country and the killing of a man "over beef" in another and wove around a pattern of "intolerance". You were evidently appalled over Prime Minister Modi's 'deafening silence' over the killings and the 'failure' of his government to prevent the killings. If Mr.Modi and the government that he leads deserve flak over the killings, don't they deserve tons of credit for the safety and security in which millions of our countrymen, including rationalist thinkers and writers, members of non-Hindu communities, agnostics and atheists, live and prosper by the day? When was the last time, Mr. Khan, that all of us came together to pass a vote of thanks to Prime Minister Modi and his government for making it possible for us to live in peace and pursue our belief, profession and way of life? Could it be because the role of the Priest Minister and his government in keeping the country together in relative peace, safety and security is taken for granted like that of our Armed Forces in times of relative peace? Who is intolerant here, Mr. Khan?

Lastly, yours is a rags to riches story. You made your fame and fortune and raised a family in this country. What made it all possible for you? Was it not the climate of tolerance and love and affection of your fans, cutting across the religious divide, that gave you the break and enabled you to prove your talent and mettle as a 'thinking man's actor?' So why the urge to send across a message, divisive in nature, that would split your fans and well wishers?

Instead of calling for increased levels of tolerance, should we all not be promoting a healthy respect among different communities? Why don't you work toward that end and set an example to your fans and others? Maybe you could even start a movement. But, please take note, there are no millions to be made here, only a glorious opportunity to forge unity among millions of right thinking people. Think and reflect, Mr. Khan, even if it hurts. It cannot hurt more than the hurt that your speech has caused. You must prove to one and all that you are an achiever, not a quitter.

- A fan who does not want to see you go "out".

Gauhar Khan shot to instant fame when her name hit Media headlines a few days ago. A little-known small-time Bollywood actor and a lesser-known fashion model, Gauhar would have liked the Media to scream out her name for bagging an Oscar or, at least a Filmfare award. Sadly for her, it was not to be. Her name hit the headlines because she had been hit earlier in the day by a faceless fan, whose status had metamorphed into that of a self-appointed guardian of morality, following the incident. The guy slapped the girl for wearing, as a Muslim, a short dress. The ugly incident left the actor shaken and the organizers and onlookers shocked. The Media wasted no time in pouncing on the issue and going to town with comments from fellow Bollywood actors and sundry women's rights activists.

The Media went ballistic over the escapade and fretted and fumed over a social non- entity's temerity to don the mantle of a guardian of morality and tell a darling member of the glitterati what kind of clothes she should wear. This was not admissible, it said. This kind of vigilantism could not be allowed to go on unchecked, it warned. Short of saying that the end of the world was around the corner, it bemoaned the frighteningly awful times the society had fallen in.

While practically everyone condemned the reprehensible nature of the incident and elaborated on why vigilantism was not to be tolerated, one was bemused to note that religious bigotism or a religion's unbridled encroachment in an individual's freedom of expression or personal liberty had not been taken up for discussion either by the Media or by the intelligentsia. It was not very amusing either to remind oneself that these same people would have come down like a ton of bricks if only the sacrilege had been committed in the name of the religion of the majority community. The religion of the minority community is, apparently, the Holy Cow beyond reproach, although nobody with the exception of pious Hindus finds anything holy or sacred about a cow!

The saving grace of the sordid story is that the sod who had enacted the sorry spectacle did not claim to represent any religious organisation or authority. Nor was he openly supported by anyone in the name of a religion. This leaves the murky waters less murky than it would otherwise have been!

From the statement of the villain of the piece that he had slapped the actor for wearing, as a 'Muslim', a short dress, it stands out to reason that if the actor had been a non-Muslim and worn a short dress, he would have hardly been bothered. A Rakhi Sawant or a Poonam Pandey would have fit the role nicely in a short dress. In fact, a shorter dress might have been a much better idea. For it would have accentuated and highlighted the decadence in the culture of non-Muslims; the Muslim actors would have, in that case, stood out as shining examples of self-restraint and self-respect and not stuck out like shameless cases of moral degradation! So, it was all a case of casting a good actor in a bad role! Gauhar has, therefore, no one else to blame than herself for choosing a bad role and the consequent mess she has landed in!

Gauhar must, as an actor that she is, move on undeterred and play all shades of human foibles and be prepared to win bouquets and brickbats with equal elan. While performance is the core of her projection, the packaging and presentation can't be dismissed as a matter not worth a picayune. There must be any number of fans who love Gauhar, warts and all. There must also be any number of narrow-minded and rabid religious bigots among her fans who take upon themselves the task of trenching into a female actor's prerogative of choosing her habiliment. Show me a garden which is not a potential hiding place for a viper and I'll show a crowd of audience sans a madcap or a crackpot. That's what stardom is all about. Remaining conscious of and being ever alive to the reality of competing in a world of make believe and surreality, is the price of a piece of the show business pie. You could neither afford the luxury of being carried away by the adulation of your fans nor be put down for long by the below-the-belt criticism or derision of personal lives by the peeping tom paparazzi or possessive and jealous fans. Fame fraught with flaws is the name of the game!

I personally feel it could all be a matter of overlooking the obvious and overplaying a freak incident of a silly hobbledehoy's obsession for a starlet.

Gauhar Khan is a starlet whose claim to fame is not her stellar performances in a variety of challenging roles in Bollywood films. She is eminently known for blink-and-you-miss-her kind of roles, and cutie-pie looks. Besides, she was the winner of the much hyped TV show 'Big Boss,' a couple of years ago. There is nothing wrong about that either. There is a place for everyone in Bollywood and she has hers. Her diehard fans are not from the same category as a Meena Kumari's or a Waheeda Rahman's. They are obviously the starry-eyed kind of fans who are in love with starlets, the aspiring and struggling ones who have not reached dizzying heights and are like low-hanging fruits. They are the kind of possessive young men who frequent the shooting sets of the starlets, yearning all the time for a winsome smile or an imagined secretive and encouraging gesture or signal from their dream girl.

The misguided youth charged with assaulting the starlet is quite likely a possessive and starry-eyed fan of Gauhar's, secretly in 'love' with her and could not stand the idea of sharing her charm and affection for him with multitudes of unwashed humanity. She was someone special for him and hence his joining his hand with her cheek to warn the villains not to come between them!

"A job with the New York Yankees! This has been the dream of my life ever since I was a child, and it's all happening because I'm completely ignoring every urge towards common sense and good judgment I've ever had. This is no longer just some crazy notion, Elaine, Jerry. This is my religion."

"So I guess your messiah would be the Anti-Christ."

- George and Jerry, in "The Opposite"

No I am not writing about my love for one of my all time favorite sitcoms. I am writing about Donald Trump’s political tactics which reminded me of one particular episode "The Opposite” for euphemism and analogy where George says every decision he has ever made have proved wrong in his life and Jerry in return suggests "if every instinct you have is wrong, then the opposite would have to be right" and that is exactly what Donald Trump is doing. In that episode George gets a hot girlfriend and a job with the New York Yankees. Jerry turns into “Even Steven” where no matter what happens to him he is always square. However the likes of Jeb Bush, Chris Christi, Marco Rubio and others turn into Elaine, who is kicked out of her apartment, loses her boy friend due to poor judgment and her job.

They say in politics expect the unexpected, however less than a year ago, no one would have dreamt Donald Trump could be the next Republican Presidential nominee and Hilary Clinton will be having a hard time getting the Democratic Party nomination because of Socialist Bernie Sanders. It seems even in modern times, we do not have the intellect to expect the unexpected because all conventional norms of politics have been broken ever since politicians from both the parties began their campaign. The first step is to get their party nomination and then fight the general election. But the general election is a bridge too far right now to discuss.

It is clear juvenile tactics does work in politics

Name calling and dirty underhanded tricks to create confusion to your rival’s campaign has been done by almost all politicians but 2016 is perhaps the ugliest in recent times. This is truer with the Republican Party because people like Donald Trump have taken the concept of attacking his opponents to a new level and the person who suffered the most by his school boy insults was low energy mama's boy Jeb Bush who thought he had the nomination in the bag with the help of name recognition. His tactic for making personal attacks on his opponents by calling them liars made for very good entertainment and mob loved it and somewhere started to believe it. When leader runs for the office of the President of the United States of America the people expect a very high level of dignity and honor but all that has changed this time around and it is clear, the people want someone who talks pedestrian.

To Americans, the office of the President is sacrosanct and the person who occupies the Oval Office must be beyond disrepute. However, that is not the case this time because the remaining players are carrying some incendiary past like Hilary Clinton with her emails, Bernie Sanders with his socialist message, Ted Cruz who is hated by his own party, Marco Rubio who does not have great record in the Senate and John Kasich who seems to be the only candidate in the Republican party who has maintained a good record and great level of restrain and decency.

“There is only one kind of shock worse than the totally unexpected: the expected for which one has refused to prepare- Mary Renault.”

No one knew Donald Trump will become such a monkey wrench for the GOP but when they did it was too late and the damage was done

They say politicians like to blow their own horn but it seems this man is an orchestra in himself and from the beginning he said things other politicians might discuss very privately. It is safe to say neither the majority of Americans nor the Republican Party was or is prepared for Donald Trump. Fact is he has been predictable with his behavior from the beginning but Republicans were afraid to call it, hoping he will go away like a small migraine but now he has turned into a malignant inoperable tumor. The writing was on the wall ever since Donald Trump Jr kicked started his campaign from his fabled Trump Towers and since then he has managed to gain the support of the bottom dwellers of the Republican Party i.e. White Supremacists. He has managed to give them a platform like never before and they seem to relish the opportunity when he prompts them to hit people who try to disrupt his gatherings.

One could write a book by collating all the insults, cheap remarks and barbs hashed out by Donald Trump when it comes to women, Mexicans, Muslims, journalists or just about anyone who disagrees with him. But that does not mean whatever thing which comes out of this mouth is wrong and sometimes he does make some since which in turn makes him a bit of an enigma and slowly people in America are finding his ideas refreshing. Fact is the Republican Party knew what is Donald Trump but did nothing, thinking he would fail on his own but instead have managed to create a bombastic leader who has insulted almost all top leaders of his party and now in all likelihood they would have to stand behind him and sing his praise.

Unsinkable Donald Trump

When you have it, flaunt it and flaunt he did which took everyone by surprise because there is no humbleness about him when he talked to the masses. More importantly with his opponents (Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio and John Kasich) he has been brutal with his coarse and misogynistic speech and has been just nasty with journalists but still his numbers are solid and it seems he is poised to win the Primary in Florida and do quite well in Ohio which will make his lead unassailable.

Who cares about political correctness?

A certain degree of political correctness is a must because a politician has to be a diplomatic but Donald Trump is as politically correct as former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi who is renowned for his politeness and humble qualities. Both these men are very rich and live a very ostentatious life in public and Donald Trump did not hide it. He said publically he is very rich, successful and bragged about other things including how well endowed his privates are and the people liked it even though it lowered the political discourse. It is clear when it comes to American politics Donald Trump could walk through rain and not get wet and in likelihood he will be the Republican nominee come November 2016 and it is the GOP the party of Lincoln and Regan who are responsible.

Why would anybody want to reinvent a wheel is a question that would puzzle anyone and is beyond one's ken of comprehension. There could be no plausible explanation for such an obviously redundant venture, which would richly merit derision and be scoffed at as a foolhardy person's futile exercise by the mildest of the critics and dismissed as poppycock and balderdash by the harshest. Not unless it is a case of 'wheels within wheels' which, according to the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesarus, is "hidden or unknown things that influence a particular situation, making it more complicated than it at first seems." Why would a young man from a poor rural background, whose parents are barely subsisting on their frugal earnings, and yet is studying in a premier educational institution in the capital city, expenses handsomely subsidised by the State, wake up one day and demand "azadi" (freedom) in a random meeting of a group of fellow students in which derogatory, inflammatory and highly objectionable anti-national slogans such as dismemberment of India and use of guns for securing "azadi" by force were raised?

Since the entire nation sans the vociferous young man and the cluster of his associates who deemed it appropriate to grab media headlines and prime time TV slots by making high decibel "demands," could not have gone into a collective bout of amnesia post-1947 and are, on the contrary, well alive to India being a Sovereign Democratic Republic, free from the yoke of colonialism, one could not be faulted for thinking that the young man had managed to do a bit of time travelling and gone back in time to the days of the British Raj, if not to the medieval times when the blood thirsty warlords of Arabia, Central Asia and Mongolia overwhelmed Hindustan with their unconventional warfare and unimaginable cruel ways of subjugation of the peaceful inhabitants of the country who had never ventured to wage war against any alien country beyond the borders of their own country and had, in fact, considered the whole world their family. In such an event, he should be helped by the law enforcement agencies and the court to return to the here and now expeditiously for his own good. It must be conceded that these august agencies have already covered fair ground in this connection during the course of their interrogation of the young man and his subsequent trial in the court. They would do well to go the whole hog to make sure that the time traveller is firmly grounded to the twenty first century India, the biggest functioning democracy in the world, and does not relapse into the past. Such a course of action is highly recommended for curing the young man and his associates who are burning with a fever of memory loss and self deprecation unless, of course, the youngsters had simply worked themselves up to a feverish pitch to secure "hidden or unknown things that influence a particular situation, making it more complicated than it at first seems."

In short, "wheels within the wheel" syndrome. It is obvious that there is more to the recent developments than what meets the eye. Apparently, the youngsters who have taken cudgels against their perceived enemies and have been crying hoarse about such vacuous issues like "communalism", "secularism", "black money" etc have not been doing it all without a specific purpose or game plan. They have evidently hitched their ramshackle wagon to a far-from-rising star of the leftist parties.

The young man of the Jawaharlal Nehru University who donned the war paints as the 'khalnayak' (anti-hero)of the sordid saga of events that panned out on 9 February in the university premises under the aegis of a student’s union of which he was (and is) the President has all the makings of an aspirant of active politics. His demagoguery and choice of issues to shout and scream about bear witness to the lurking political ambition in him. Expressly forbidden by the university authorities from holding a cultural evening on the anniversary of the hanging of Afzal Guru, an enemy of the State, who had been accused of being the mastermind of a terror attack on the parliament way back in December 2001 by a gang of Pakistani terrorists, and hanged in February 2013, on the orders of the highest court of the land, Mr.Khalnayak Kumar and his associates went ahead, in open defiance of the instructions of the university authorities, and held their programme which was anything but a "cultural evening". Was this the "azadi" that the young man wanted freedom to hold an unauthorised assembly of students in defiance of the instructions of the university authorities who were responsible for the happenings on their premises? If he and his associates are indeed patriots as they claim, as one is tempted to believe, the question arises as to who raised the most reprehensible and condemnable anti-national slogans on the fateful evening. Who were those men with faces covered, seen in the video recordings of the shameful event organised by Mr.Khalnayak Kumar?

If those were not students but outside elements as we are persuaded to believe, wasn't Mr.Khalnayak Kumar squarely responsible for the holding of the event without the approval of the competent authority, and allowing it to be infiltrated by anti-national elements? Even if these nationalist students had not anticipated infiltration of their meeting by anti-national elements, shouldn't they have abandoned the meeting which, in any case, was not an authorised event, once it became obvious that the meeting had been compromised? Shouldn't the brave young men and women, who have been challenging the government, have caught hold of the anti-national elements who made the most inflammatory slogans and handed them over to the university authorities, if not directly to the police? How could the peace loving bright-eyed students of a prestigious university let snakes crawl about their Garden of Eden and expect the nation to believe that they had not been seduced to partake the forbidden fruit, let alone harbour and offer their milk of innocence to the snakes?

On receipt of a complaint about the anti-national activities in JNU, the Delhi police swung into action. After fidgeting for a while, waiting and watching the developments, they clumsily blundered about taking Mr.Khalnayak Kumar into custody for interrogation. They filed a case of sedition and produced him in a court. Thrown in the high wattage drama that shrouded the escorting of the anti-hero by the police to the court, was the incident of Mr.Khalnayak Kumar being roughed up in the melee by the lawyers at the court who were fretting and fuming over his highly provocative and dubious role in the unsavoury incidents at the university. Eventually, Mr. Khalnayak Kumar was let out by the court on conditional bail but not before he spent nearly three weeks in the prison. The court also had a thing or two to tell him in no uncertain terms about nationalism and how he should conduct himself and be above reproach during the bail period.

No sooner had he been released on bail, than Mr.Khalnayak Kumar resumed his rabble rousing activities albeit in a somewhat subdued manner. Aside from apprising his associates on camera about his incarceration and interrogation by the police in his flamboyant and fiery style, he has been going about giving interviews to the mainstream media in a somewhat low profile style, proudly wearing a feigned image of a poor victim mauIed by a mighty government, as a badge of honour.

In the meanwhile, more persons from JNU had been taken in by the police on the charge of sedition. Apparently, the authorities in the Union Home Ministry and Delhi Police seemed to be reconciled to the idea that the malaise of discontent and disaffection which has been plaguing JNU is a deep-rooted malady that calls for a thorough and meticulous investigation and an appropriate follow up action so as to rid JNU of undesirable ultra-political and suspicious anti-national activities and restore a peaceful academic atmosphere. Highly objectionable and incendiary pamphlets in the nature of hurting the religious sentiments of a particular community have been seized. The university authorities have been sending, on their part, notices to the dramatis personae of the unseemly incident, as part of their own investigation. The students, who are on a warpath, have been training their guns on the Prime Minister and the Union HRD Minister in an extremely derisive manner. The incidence of the death of Rohith Vemula of the University of Hyderabad came in handy for the disgruntled students of JNU in their desperate bid to malign the Modi government. Yet another addition to their litany of vacuous demands - justice for Rohith Vemula! Apparently, Mr.Khalnayak Kumar and his band of supporters have been sold on the idea of trouncing the government on the strength of their raucous and vacuous demands on the shoulders of sensationalism.

JNU's very own Don Quixote, menacingly on his way to tilt at the huge giant of a windmill and his faithful bunch of Sancho Panzas are not without their fair share of support from the Opposition parties, particularly the Communists and the party of the aam aadmi vaiety, which have been wearily eyeing the mighty Modi government and fantasising and drooling over its downfall. The romancing of Mr.Khalnayak Kumar by the dwindling tribe of the short-statured opposition parties flows by no means from what could be termed as their new-found love for the blue-eyed boy of students politics. The students union of Mr.Khalnayak Kumar is affiliated to the Communist parties. The sudden spurt in the union's off-the-tangent activities is indicative of Mr.Khalnayak Kumar's cutting his political teeth and being groomed by his mentors. The continued successful performance of the Modi government in its second year of existence and the miserable failure of the Congress party, headed by the ineffectual Gandhis, to provide a serious viable alternative at the Centre, as well as the forthcoming State assembly elections, have had the snowballing effect of giving rise to a desperate bid by the Communist parties which are on the verge of extinction as elsewhere in the world, to promote and pit Mr.Khalnayak Kumar against a formidable Narendra Modi.

"Give me liberty or give me death!" thundered Patrick Henry in his famous speech at the Virginia Convention in 1775. The portentous speech swung the balance in convincing the convention to pass a resolution delivering Virginian troops for the Revolutionary War against the Kingdom of Great Britain and declaring the thirteen United Colonies of today's USA independent. Contrast the tide-turning speech of Henry with the speeches of Mr.Khalnayak Kumar which are qualitatively different and fraught with assertions such as "Azadi leke rahenge " (we shall not rest till we get freedom), and exhortations like "Inquilab zindabad" (Victory to revolution), "lal salaam" (red salute) etc. No freedom fighter this, our very own champion of shadow boxing, whose concept of freedom is either a degenerate call for changes in the political system at the best or a heavily loaded ultra-political barb at the worst; his roadmap for securing the ends is littered with blood and gore (red salute). It is one thing to be a puffed up hero with an inflated image courtesy sold-out-sections of the mainstream media; and yet another to be a leader of the masses and classes alike. An artificially puffed up chest has no staying power like the one built like a barn door! Khalnayak Kumars may feel thrilled with the flow of adrenalin while riding the wave of the media-generated publicity and playing to the gallery, cheered and goaded by their own bands of admirers and supporters but would do well to bear in mind that the media soon tires of its own creations. In the media's scheme of things, what was yesterday the flavour of the season becomes yesterday's left overs today a la the Aam Aadmi Party supremo.

The moment Putin announced that he was going to withdraw its army from the land of war, he started getting targeted by black humour and sarcasm. Somebody even went ahead and said Putin got scared because of the military exercise by Saudi Army. The first Aircraft of Russian army took off on Thursday and tagged with it venting on Twitter and Facebook also took off.

There opponents of Bashar al-Assad started celebrating the withdrawal of the Army terming it a Lover’s Break up, but Russian will continue to bomb. Facebook and Twitter is laden with hundreds of fake, doctored images and hypothetic statements. One Facebook page states that there was a mutual agreement for the withdrawal between Putin and Assad. We can see some celebrating the decision and some throwing black humour.

Leaving what people are saying there are tens of questions that stand tall. Why is there a surprise announcement for the withdrawal? Has Russia achieved it’s strategic goal as it stated before he sent his planes there? Putin has another tens of answers to support his decision to move out and they seem rationale as well. Slumping oil prices, internal turmoil, Russian civilians not happy with the decision to bomb Syria and obviously constant sanctions on Russia by the giant rivals. Russia’s flexibility to make decision and act on it like it did by deciding to send troops, bomb Syria, assist Assad and leave as soon as possible. On the other hand, Obama does not enjoy the same. He has to talk to everyone in the house to get the permission and tell the nation that ‘The America wants to Save Syria’ then he takes decision. And when he has to pull out, he has to repeat the steps. Obama seem to be jealous of Putin at his manoeuvrability. Russia is quick to enter foment the trouble among some and confer aid to some and is quick to quit as well.

So what picture does it cast when we try to analyse the situation from both the aspects? Putin wanted to show he is not shaken by the sanctions and he is a world partner on human right issues. He can take active part in that as he finds his partner in Syria was struggling so he lent a hand and supported. The result is apparent. Because of Russian military aids and direct assistance, Assad’s position is getting back to strength. This is the right moment to withdraw. Hence, this seems pretty decent decision taken at a right time.

It is only natural that our capital is ranked number one when it comes to viewing porn in India. However there is a twist to it, apparently men and even some women in Delhi and across India have developed liking to “Desi Porn”. Now talk about make in India initiative it seems we are now giving some of the well established players in the market a run for their money. I decided to write this article after I read a rather interesting piece in TOI about India’s latest obsession with desi porn and our fair capital being the number one consumer. So I started asking myself this question, what makes desi porn more popular and titillating?

Now why does a person gets into the porn industry is a very difficult question to answer and I bet there are plenty of data and news articles to get that information. However as a man, guilty as charged who has watched porn, I think it has something to do with fantasy. When I was a teenager there were no internet and I am talking about growing up in the 1990s when compared to today it was a simpler time. It’s not that people did not view porn, the point is, it was very difficult. Liberalization of our economy had not yet gained momentum and many households did not have a color tv and VCR including my own. So when parents were not home boys would hire TV, VCR and X rated video tapes from the local video parlor which now people remember in cities as folklore and together with friends watch the forbidden. Or catch the Nine AM show in CP. I am not proud of it and I blame hormones.

But coming back to present, and with regards to ‘Millennials’ who were born in late 80s and early 1990s they simply do not know the amount of Hard Work (Pun intended) us slightly older folks had to do to watch porn. It was not easy and the fear of getting caught was very high and unfortunately some did get caught who were either beaten or as a tacit understanding or call it denial, never talked about it again. But enough nostalgia because I come from a time when there were no twenty four hour cable, broadband and the term “MILF” was not yet invented. God I feel old! But as I was saying the article which was published in TOI talks about India’s obsession and particularly New Delhi’s fascination with Desi Porn to me comes as no surprise.

Think about it, back in the day parents will not take children to movies if it had a kissing scene. I remember watching Tarzen starring Kimi Katkar, alone. But today every other actress does not mind doing kissing scene which in my opinion have sensitised our society as a normal human behavior. Mind you if I ever catch my parents kissing I am jumping from the nearest tall building (jumping from my building might not do the trick). But yes Desi Porn, I think it has to do with watching Indian women in nude and also many videos are homemade like couple in their honeymoon, collage hostel or high school kids getting their freak on. The point is we want to see Indian women naked. Come to think of it my parents were rather liberal when I was in my teens and often my father took us to watch English films and the kissing scene or tolerable love scene did not bother him or my mom even though we were sitting next to each other in theater. But I felt awkward to watch Hindi films where the heroine danced seductively in rain because since we were kids the perception was Indian women are very pious and western women are more open which is a very poor attitude to have.

So I think when we watch an Indian women having sex on the internet and hopefully with consent because there are some sick people out there, we relive our own fantasy of hoping to get a glance of a girl in our neighborhood while she is bathing, the “hot aunty” or "our own Savita bhabhi which is a very popular search word gave us sleepless nights. Is watching porn a good thing and in hindsight thank god there was no internet when I was teenager because I might have not gotten any work done. The answer is no but since when mankind has stopped from doing the right thing. My research was not very easy and I am not going to share any stats but what I found out that most of the videos which have maximum views was homemade, so remember and it is quite possible you might one day stumble upon a video which might feature someone near and dear to you and remember the cost of therapy is not cheap.

I was watching DDLJ few years back when I was abroad and there was this particular scene which made me cringe or call it an epiphany. The character of Kajol thinks she might have had sex with Shah Rukh Khan and she freaks out then our hero grabs her and looks her into her eyes and with a very serious tone says that he knows the value “Izzat” aka virginity of an Indian women. Maybe there lies the answer to our question why we are into desi porn because we hold our women in such high standards that getting any opportunity to see them in compromising positions is just an impossible opportunity to let go. There are movies after movies where the girl is about to be raped or sold into prostitution and in the nick of time is rescued before her Izzat is taken and it is our hero who finally takes the bite of the apple. No wonder we are obsessed watching Indian women naked and in the words of Mark Twain “The more things are forbidden, the more popular they become.”

I made a quip about make it in India initiative which is also the title of this article since Indians are more into desi porn, but I do not think it is possible for any of our Indian cities to turn into the next San Fernando Valley which is the home to the porn industry in U.S. Some people with serious academic qualification say watching some porn is a healthy form of expression and maybe it is but in India watching porn is reaching epidemic proportions giving young minds unrealistic ideas about sex. It was important for me to get a little serious because life has taught me many lessons and though I have tried to approach this issue in a light heated manner, if a teenager with access to iPad, lap top and smart phone is reading this, I say this them “No one can stop you from watching porn I know I did with lot of difficulty and it was wrong and also a learning experience but do not make a habit of it because what you view is someone else reality or their nightmare.”

I have mentioned some of my life experiences and hope it might be of some useful information and now I must go and erase my search history.

A senior official of Ministry of Human Resource Development said on Saturday that the National Institute of Technology (NIT) will remain in Srinagar and the examination will be held as per schedule from April 11, 2016. The statement came after some non-Kashmiri students had demanded that NIT must be shifted to Jammu as they did not feel safe in Srinagar.

The trouble began when India lost the semi-finals of T20 World Cup to West Indies and some Kashmiri students started celebrating India’s defeat by raising freedom slogans. In response, a clash broke out amongst Kashmiri and non-Kashmiri students and the latter also carried out protests in the campus raising ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’ slogans. In following days, around 500 students tried to march out of the NIT campus alleging that they felt insecure and wanted to go home. The state police, in the course of keeping the mob from exiting the NIT gates, lathi-charged few of the students. Later on, the Home Ministry deployed Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). The outstation students also demanded that the campus be shifted outside the valley, which ofcourse has been denied by the HRD Ministry.

Incidents such as these makes one wonder that how did even India manage to stay a democracy all these years? Sir John Strachey, a member of Governor General’s Council in British India, once told in a Cambridge lecture, ‘Scotland is more like Spain than Bengal is like the Punjab. . . This is the first and most essential thing to learn about India – that there is not, and never was an India.’ The vast diversity among Indian states made it impossible to think of them as one single nation. The name ‘India’ was merely used a label for convenience. Today, it is only because of the vision of our great leaders that we are able to breathe in a free India.

Attaining freedom was just the beginning, the actual problems had just begun, one of which was integration of princely states into the newly independent nations. A lot of politics happened over the accession of Princely states, which of the two newly born countries they should accede to, India or Pakistan? The Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir, Hari Singh had decided to stay independent unless any one nation deliberately tried to use violence against the Princely state; in that case it would accede to the other nation.However, following the attacks by Pakistan tribes, he wired Indian Government for military assistance. In return, he signed the document of accession on 26October, 1947.

Sheikh Abdullah, who had graduated from Aligarh Muslim University, emerged as the popular face among the people. During the Maharaja’s rule, he could not bag a government job despite his qualifications, as the administration at that time was dominated by Hindus. Through his personal experience, he had learnt that the only solution to this issue was turning Kashmir into a secular space. Thus he wanted the J&K not only for Muslims, but for the Hindus and Sikhs as well.

This brings us back to the irony of our present situation, where we are not even capable of watching a cricket match together, which apparently is meant to be fun. It is amusing how a simple game of cricket can culminate into people raising freedom slogans. This highlights what has been brewing in the valley from a long time, the simmering anger amongst the Kashmiri youth against the wrongs done to them under the garb of AFSPA and ultimately the demand for freedom. Armed Forces Special Powers Act was implemented in the valley on July 5, 1990, when the government had failed to maintain the law and order situation. This opaque piece of legislation might have been necessary at that time, but the present situation is different. It must be withdrawn from peaceful areas for starters, and subsequently, the legislation must be amended to make the armed forces accountable for the human rights abuse.

Instead of letting this incident just go as an another ‘incident of student activism’, which has been trending off-late, the Central Government must ponder over, that why the majority people of Kashmir, who were once ready to join India, today demand freedom from the same India? The present generation of Kashmiris has encountered the dark side of AFSPA and gone through the stigma of human rights abuse attached to it. And it is quite difficult to view things from a rational and neutral perspective once the personal loss is attached to the problem. I know it is too much to ask of the people of Kashmir, but few things must be forgiven, if not forgotten, for one’s own better future.

India has dealt with communal and sectarian ideologies in the past as well and always survived in the end; the people of India have always loved it back despite everything. India shall always stand as one pluralist and democratic nation, no matter what comes in it's way. As Ramchandra Guha writes in his book, India after Gandhi, “In Uri, sixty miles from Srinagar, there was a grave of a Christian soldier from Travancore, which had the Vedic Swastika and a verse from the Quran inscribed on it. There could be ‘no more poignant and touching symbol of the essential oneness and unity of India’.”

Since we live in a perfectly patriarchal society, one keeps coming across sexist remarks and incidents. The latest one was pulled by a restaurant‘Imperfecto’ in upscale market of Hauz Khas Village (HKV) in Delhi. The restaurant, in the name of light humour, had written on their signboard,“We don’t serve women, you must bring your own”. Well, complementing its name, the staff at Imperfecto has an imperfect, rather a poor sense of humour. Now they might excuse themselves by saying that it was just a joke, and all the feminists out there are being such killjoys, but we must remember that something is joked around only when we already believe in it to some extent; that’s what makes it laughable.

Many of us are regulars at HKV and totally love the place, but incidents like this remind us that misogyny can hit you right in the face anytime, even when you are walking among “nice and educated” people. When we talk of hi-end urban areas of India, it’s no longer about inequality in education or health, but of psychological inequality. Despite their qualifications, women are generally viewed as an exotic assembly of breasts, long legs and a vagina. The onus is totally on the women to repeatedly prove that she can be more than that.

Men are just not ready to treat women as an equal human being. Many of them think that, since they “allow” their wives to work, they support female rights. I wish somebody would ask them that who gave them the ‘right to allow’ at first place? In an another case, many of them blatantly say that females should stay away from cigarettes while it’s completely okay for males to smoke, citing all the medical reasons for how smoking is more harmful for females. Of course, it’s more injurious to the health of females, but it’s not like it’s doing any health wonders for males. These double standards remind me of an amazing quote I read somewherethat “Privilege is something when you think something is not a problem because it’s not a problem to you personally”. Either one should be completely against smoking for both the genders or openly accept the practice of smoking, but this time also for both the sexes.

We all are the product of society and culture we are born into, and our patriarchal setup has ensured that we see inheritance privileges, lineage and funeral rights as something naturally reserved for men. On April 2, a woman sarpanch in Chhattisgarh, Geeta Prahlad, had to pay with her life for fulfilling her mother’s last wish. Geeta’s mother, who was kicked out of the house by his son 22 years ago,lived with Geeta and wanted her to perform the last rites. Her elder brother, Santosh, for whom his mother was as good as dead all these years, suddenly felt that he was deprived of his funeral rights which our so called society has conferred on him.To take revenge and feed his big ego, he took it upon himself to murder his younger sister brutally, shouting at the same time that it was his right to perform the last rites. It is disappointing that economic and political independence is not sufficient to save women from the clutches of male chauvinism.

This rampant gender inequality refuses to die down because it is carefully nurtured by the well-heeled people. Even some sections of media explicitly indulge in sexism, because all they have got to talk about is Deepika’s cleavage or Kate Middleton’s upskirt. Times of India (TOI) either has an absolute dearth of meaningful news or an army of seriously sexist journalists, as they end up putting ‘Kate’s Marilyn moment at India gate’ on the front page shamelessly. After all, who cares about a lady paying respects at Amar Jawan Jyoti when her skirt does the magic for perverts in us. At the same time, it’s interesting how Kate gets criticized for everything from her skirt to her unpedicured toes, while Prince William manages to escape such inspection.

Last year also, TOI had printed something like “Deepika’s cleavage show”, circling and pointing arrows at Deepika Padukone’s cleavage. The actress was smart enough to retaliate in her Facebook post, that her reel life must be differentiated from her real life and if media doesn’t zoom in on a man’s crotch, the whymust a woman be subjected to such scrutiny? Art can demand an actress to be a Goddess, and the same art can demand her to be a prostitute, we must recognize the fact they are real human beings and that they have a life outside their profession. It’s time we gave the much needed respect that our women deserve, irrespective of their profession, religion and economic backgrounds.

In the post-world war era, many of us are often tempted to believe that we have tamed the rowdy business cycles and the haunting days of ‘The Great Depression of 1930s’ are well past us. Whether it were the 1973 oil crisis, the Asian Crisis of 1997 involving collapse of Thai currency or the Dot Com Bubble of 2000, somehow the repercussions were contained in a short span of time; and we thought we had entered the golden era of ‘The Great Moderation’.
Come 2008, the sub-prime mortgage crisis in US housing market jolted the world and the financial meltdown caused a global recession. While Merrill Lynch sold itself to Bank of America for $50 billion, half of its market value the previous year; Lehman Brothers failed to even find a buyer. Ultimately, it filed for bankruptcy and the Federal Reserve had to roll out a bailout package considering that these companies were “too big to fail”. Anyhow, it was a slow demise of Lehman Brothers and many other companies, which led to a total global loss of around $15 trillion.
Since then, the investors have been careful with their money. Many investors of industrialized nations have preferred to use their cash surpluses for innovative start-ups. Recently, India, too has been riding on the start-up wave, especially tech start-ups. Some of them have earned quite a name in the market for themselves. A new term, 'Unicorn' has been coined for those enterprises which reach $1 billion mark, and 142 companies already qualify for the tag. Some of the big-wigs of start-up world include Flipkart, Zomato, Uber, Snapchat, Pinterest, Quikr and Dropbox.
To encourage young entrepreneurs, Prime Minister Modi has also launched a scheme ‘Start up India, Stand up India’. Under the scheme, the government promises to simplify the start-up process, develop start-up hubs to enable knowledge exchange, provide 80 per cent rebate on filling patent applications, and develop 35 new incubators and 31 new innovation centers. Talking of China, which has 780 government guided funds to finance start-ups, government is very much eager to boost the entrepreneurial spirit through financial aid and favorable policies. In a similar fashion, the Indian government has also decided to launch a government fund with a corpus of 10,000 crore. Although the scheme sounds promising in terms of reducing the red tape, the success will depend on how seriously it is executed over the next few years.
Once again, investors seem very cheerful about the boom in the market. Due to the fear of missing out, investors with deep pockets are more than willing to burn cash and make new riches before somebody else takes the money home. Companies like Uber are able to spend fortunes to keep their drivers on the road, thanks to the endless stream of money that venture capitalists and angel investors put in. However, as the initial phase of euphoria fizzles out, companies like Zomato, housing.com and food delivery app Tiny Owl have carried out layoffs; and people have started asking questions. Are we about to meet an another cousin of 2000 Dot-Com Bubble, where initially, even an updation of website design would lead to 1000% increase in stock price, and later on the bubble bursted into a spectacular fiasco.

Is the bubble real?
One cannot outrightly deny that the start-up fetish is slowly turning into a bubble. Most of the investments are based on the net present value (NPV) of future earnings. Thus the fundamental value of these companies is much less than the publicized values. Year by year, these companies are generating losses, hoping to earn profits in future, and continue to give huge discounts to attract customers. E-retailers, for instance, are having an average loss of 140 rupee per item.
Why are the start-up profits moving at a snail’s pace in India? The peculiar demographics of India are also at play here. Two-thirds of Indians are under 35, which make up the biggest age group for using internet. However, internet connectivity is very low and most of the people cannot access broadband services. Secondly, the per capita income in India is at Rs 72,889 for 2014-15, as per Central Statistical Office (CSO) data, which is not even one-fourth of China’s per capita income. People have little money to spend and they are not yet ready to trust the online modes or new born startups. In such a scenario, it becomes imperative to capture maximum number of customers and reap economies of scale. Many industries are disintegrated right now and will become profitable only when few large players are left. E-commerce players, Flipkart, Amazon, and Snapdeal are the three biggest players in the Indian market. Flipkart, with largest market share, merely controls 5% share of the market while on a similar pattern, Alibaba, in China, controls 80% share of the Chinese market. Thus, in the long term, if Flipkart wants to be India’s Alibaba, it will have to emerge out as the biggest player.

Will the crash happen anytime soon?
Indian start-ups wave is still at an embryonic stage. There is a long time before the bubble bursts. Many of the big companies have a fair chance of survival, although they might lose their value after a skeptical valuation. These companies have innovative business models and some part of the discounts they offer is financed by their savings from not having to invest in Brick-and-Mortar model. At the end of the bubble, mature companies will emerge out as winners. Rest of them will be acquired or be merged with the leading companies, for instance, Mumbai based CarTrade, which deals in second-hand autos, acquired its rival CarWale, eliminating it’s competition.

Who is going to be affected, if at all the bubble bursts?
Most of the start-ups are still private. To go public, first they need to be listed on stock exchanges. So the general public is hardly at risk as far as retail investing is concerned. They might take a little hit if they own mutual funds which have further invested in start-ups. Otherwise, there is not much loss.
Venture capitalists are at utmost risk, but the money is mostly coming through foreign players, who have a greater risk appetite and have secured their positions through various safety clauses. Most of these investors take preferred stocks which gives them preference to recover their investment amount prior to anybody else in the case of liquidation. So, they will be the first ones to jump off a ship in distress. Also, we must not forget that the captain goes down with the ship. Thus, the founder of the company is most vulnerable, not to mention the employees of the company as well. They will suffer the most as they lose their livelihood once the company lands in trouble.

How to survive through the Bubble burst?
Despite all the uncertainty surrounding the future of start-ups, India has received $5bn in investment 2015 alone. It is quite a phenomenon in itself, since India was hardly trusted with such amounts before. In return, the start-ups need to be flexible in their approach. Cash must be used more for investment purpose rather than consumption expenditure, else it will only add to their debt with zero addition to the assets. More importantly, they need to be open to dilution of control. They say that the worst mistake a movie director can make is to fall in love with his own movie. Thus the budding entrepreneurs should be bold enough to merge and share control with other body corporates, if the need arises. And last but not the least; innovation is the driving fuel of start-up sensation. Therefore, young entrepreneurs need to continually improve and innovate to keep alive the interest of their customer.

“He is the lord of stars, planets and all constellations. He is the origin of everything in the universe and is the cause of the lustre of even the brilliant ones. Salutations to Thee who is the One being manifest in the twelve forms of the Sun.”

Since the dawn of time man has been curiously fascinated and at awe by the power of Sun. This is why sun has been worshipped by many cultures all over the world. Even thousands of years ago man knew the value and importance of sun light on our daily life and planned things accordingly. World renowned yoga expert and teacher BKS Iyengar said this about Surya Namaskar “The rhythm of the body, the melody of the mind & the harmony of the soul create the symphony of life.” And that is the exact function of the sun because it has the power to conduct the symphony of life.

History of Surya Namaskar

There are many stories behind the origin of Surya Namaskar but the most accepted form has been the story of Hunuman seeking knowledge from the sun god or Surya. Since the sun god never stops for anyone Hanuman had to move constantly so he positioned himself with his face to Surya's, which meant he was travelling backward so always facing his teacher. This is where the origins of this ancient spiritual exercise take shape. The backward­-moving trajectory of surya namaskar the movements required for an individual to do because you do tend to wind up at the back of your and then have to return to the front to continue the series. Also after the education of Hanuman was over in a remarkable period of just one week as a “Guru Dakshina” he would offer namaskars to Sun God on a daily basis.

There are a set of 12 fixed, cyclic postures in Surya namaskar which has the power to rejuvenate the human body. Practicing regular Surya namaskar have helped individuals detoxify their body and mind because the ancient people more than 5000 years ago knew the strength and benefit from Yoga, and soon realized that the morning rays have therapeutic properties. This is method which helps us get our body in sync solar cycle and to the lunar cycle. The 12 postures of Surya Namaskar should be done at the time of sunrise because the morning rays are very therapeutic and it revitalizes the body refreshes the mind and prepares us for all tasks of the day. The entire postures act as warm-ups before one starts with various Asanas and it should be done only on an empty stomach because that will help you in a good way to lose weight.

Health benefits

Long before Nicolaus Copernicus discovered that the earth revolved around the Sun, we in India knew its divine source of energy. All over the world great civilizations have worshipped the sun one way or the other and all have deep spiritual and physical meaning. The Greeks called the Sun god Helius, the Romans called sun Titan and Hyperoin and for the Egyptians it was Ra. Surya Namaskar is not just a physical activity it is medical science because sun’s rays has nutrients like vitamin D which gives us the power for calcium absorption in the intestine and make our bones strong to prevent rachitism in both children and adults and osteoporosis in elders. Surya Namaskar can act as a preventive measure against cancer of colon, breast, leukemia and lymphomas. Also regular yoga helps strengthen our heart muscles, improve stamina, metabolism and motion.

Surya Namaskar can help fight Stress

These are strange times for all of us where we are constantly plagued by stress at the work place which leads to various physical and emotional problems. But sadly the level of stress in recent times has increased exponentially among children which can cause serious developmental issues. Childhood is the time for having fun and learning new things and the rise of stress related issues can have lasting impact because their body, mind and spirit are in its infancy. Surya Namaskar can help children boost their endurance, increase concentration and help them face life challenges. When the mind is at ease the body is also at ease hence a child can be more active because they are our future.

Surya Namaskar is a very simple way to prepare your body and allow it do things which you did not comprehend or thought it was not possible. Through the practice of Surya Namaskar, one can attain physical stability and mastery over the system i.e Indriyas or control of your senses. When a person starts to do yoga it is unlike any other form of physical exercise because you will feel a change within your body in just few days because what is inside is more important. Many practitioners such has leading yoga studio like Barbican Yoga Café have said regular Surya namaskar have given them the power of patience and self control and the lack of both are a malady for our body, mind and spirit.

P.S

We have taken some input from Sumit Sandhu from Barbican Yoga Cave from London who runs a Yoga Studio.

Getting into college is one of the major milestones of a person’s life. Not in terms of professionalism but in the rule of life. College changes you. It grooms you, helps you discover contours of your personality that you begin to embrace with pride and more than that, it makes you “cool”. Don’t believe me? Well those who have finished college should scroll down on fb to see how they looked in the first year and how their appearance has drastically changed over the three years of college!

It’s not just in terms of appearances that one can change, even the attitudes of a person are influenced by his/her peers, even teachers! Priorities are inversed and crumbled and a new set of priorities envelope you. If you are a fresher and concerned about all these sudden changes, fret not, it’s a college thing. More than that however, it’s a DU trend.

While most colleges follow the same pattern in terms of grooming a person’s personality, DU is far ahead in terms of changing a person’s preferences. The second you get past the first semester as a fresher, your priority shifts from scoring the highest marks to scoring the coolest friend. Your eyes are always glued on that one person you want to be friends with or that one cool group you want to be a part of. After all you need to make the three years of your college count? You start emphasising on the kinds of stories you will tell your kids someday. (It has to be a cool one)

Three months into college, you would find people forming peer groups based in this order:

The Nerds: The cluster of intellects who would know more than the teachers

The Onlookers: This is the set of people who have come to learn and take notes down like it’s the recipe to an elixir of immortality

Confused opportunists: They are still not sure if they want to be in the course or shift to another one

Modest Outfits: People who get along due to their fair sense of fashion and comparatively small budgets

The Union material: This bunch already knows enough people to influence the vote count of third year elections.

Now the Plastics get major attention in the first two years of college. It’s typically DU in terms of materialism which is taught through experience. Now let’s see the psyche behind it. The plastics are the celebrities. They already have what one seeks to achieve in their lives, which is money, good looks, comfort etc. You want to be associated with them, sometimes to learn, sometimes out of curiosity and mostly out of your need to look cool. However, by the end of third year you will all realize the farce that is life of a DU student, not in a bad sardonic way, but in a funny way.

All this materialism helps in achieving a final revelation that makes you the person you want to be. It teaches you to be modern and active. Most students regret their lack of participation in college societies, not just because it makes you popular but also because it makes you informed and exposes you to the professional side of the activity.

DU has many colours but most of all, it grooms an individual. Its love for good looks, fashion and being trendy drives the life segments of students. Even its newsletter, DU Beat is all about fests and events which revolve around the trend setting lot of students. Life in DU is quite eventful. It makes you connect and shows you the filmy angle of a student’s life.

The Invisibles: They take time surfacing.

The Plastics(quote Mean Girls): Now the plastics are not just It girls, in DU guys occupy a fair amount of space in these groups. They are mostly rich ‘brats’ who shop from Zara or maybe shop Palika, quote Zara types

SHOOTING SCENES WERE “WITHOUT PERMISSION”

Scenes of the upcoming movie, Udta Punjab, featuring Kareena kapoor with the Punjabi superstar, Diljit Dosanjh was shooted at various locations in the city of Amritsar. Undoubtedly it generated a lot of buzzes, however, the film was being shot “without the permission” of the district administration and the police authorities, which they claim is “mandatory” as reported by the police officials and the state commissioner.

NO CROWD -SAFETY MEASUREMENTS FOR THE FILMSTARS

Surprisingly, there was no help asked from local authorities while shooting was facilitated. Confirming the same, Amritsar police commissioner, Jatinder Singh Aulakh has claimed that the filmmakers had not even asked for security, which is usually required for the safety of film stars and to control the crowd, which could go berserk and upset the law and order situation.

THE CENSOR BOARD HAS ASKED FOR 89 SCENES CUT

The cranky regressive minds of the Censor Board for films, have further added to the troubles for the filmmakers of Udta Punjab as they have asked them to remove any reference to towns and cities and the elections held in the state (89 scenes get a straight “NO”), along with the name “PUNJAB” to be removed as well. So what could be some suggestive names? “UDTA” or “UDTA INDIA”?

(Hilarious!)

MOVIE IS NOT BASED ON BOTTOMLESS FACTS

Reacting to the trailer which has created ripples within Punjab already, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) MLA from Khem Karan Virsa Singh Valtoha has said: “this film is an outcome of a trend to defame Punjab and its youth”. However, the makers have claimed that the movie’s story line is inspired by an investigative article in a National magazine that shook the nation. It was reported based on a study; Punjab's opioid dependents are four times more than the global average. Also clearing the fact that the film does not hold the agenda to spread negativity about the State or any considerable references.

NO SINGLE SCENE OF SHAHID AND KAREENA TOGETHER

With a bitter history of a broken relationship, Shahid kapoor and Kareena Kapoor Khan are not sharing any scenes or have shot together in the movie. Rather, Kareena is paired with Punjab’s heartthrob, Diljit Dosanjh.All those waiting for Shahid and Kareena to reunite (atleast on screen), this could be a heart-breaking news for you.

THE SONG ‘CHITTA VE’ WAS SHOOTED WITH LIVE AUDIENCE

Shahid Kapoor’s Chitta Ve song from the film, which has already struck the right chord among the audience, was interestingly shot with live audience. Yes, you read it right! As soon as the word spread about Shahid shooting in the vicinity, hundreds of people thronged the film’s sets with full excitement and euphoria. This is the exact thing that the makers were looking for

Sadly, there’s a bad news of the song shall not be a part of the movie are spread. Let’s hope, it is just a rumor!

ALIA BHATT: THE MOVIE WAS NOT EVEN OFFERED TO ME

Alia Bhatt, who has played the role of a migrant from Bihar in the movie, is already adding the twist to the tale, was not even offered the movie at first. As Alia had told to daily, "Udta was not even offered to me. No one, including the director, thought that I will do the film so he did not come to me with it. Shahid gave me the film to just read. He asked me, 'Tell me what you think of it'. I read it and fell in love with the film. That's how it happened," she told.

But with a power-packed performance revealed in the trailer itself, Alia is all set to prove that she’s not just a pretty face.

With an exuberant and larger than life trailer, the movie definitely promises huge to the audience who are eagerly waiting to watch it. Let’s hope the movie stands out to such expectations, which is already stinging the regressive minds because of its controversial highlights.

Flipkart, a name that every metropolitan urbanite uses in daily conversations. ‘Hey! Any idea where will I get this phone at a reasonable rate?’ , replying to this as: “Flipkart pe dekh le!”(Have a look at what Flipkart has to offer). From latest mobile phones to kid’s apparel, Flipkart is a on-stop-destination. With the largest piece in the Indian e-tail pie , Flipkart held its valuation at $15 billion , however facing a great setback on may 2016, when the valuation of the company had fallen to $11.1billion by Morgan Stanely ( a 25% downfall), further to $9 billion, now. Most probably it’s a result of uncertainty among the company’s investors whether the online retailer, “poster boy of Indian startups “, Flipkart would give a tough hand to the growing market share of AMAZON and it’s other giant rivalries.

Bona fide sources have claimed that the fall could be the aftereffect of reshuffling of management heads, as the long-term face of Flipkart , CEO, Sachin Bansal stepped aside to let his co-founder Binny Bansal to take the charge. Even, old and long employees, Mukesh Bansal , Ankit Nagori and Sillicon Valley returned, product division head, Punit Soni have left the shelter to start their own – ventures . In February, this year, Flipkart had shut down it’s grocery app, citing low consumer demand. Also, T Row, renowned investors of Flipkart since 2014, marked down its stake over the company by 15%. Some of the even early investors of the largest Indian E-commerce player, have also called -off their stakes in as signs of “under-confidence in investor “ sentiment. IDG for example, which was an early investor in Flipkart, recently sold off its remaining 0.9% stake after selling close to 1% last year , as reported.

A rumor spreading across had claimed that Flipkart had turned to the common backer of all : God of big Indian e-commerce businesses, ‘the mighty’, Alibaba, .But to no avail, as it refused to drop in fresh capital to the venture at the current valuations. Trying to cover some of its burns, Flipkart is making attempts to reduce its fixed cost burden, according to a report of ET.

Pessimism and misfortune spread all over, Flipkart seems to be witnessing gloomy days for quite a long time. Maybe, it could be the ‘great tumble’ or an unexpected rise of the giant E-commerce jock. But for now, only catastrophes seem to have been coming in the way of Flipkart’s fate. Latterly, Flipkart had seemingly grab attention of all the news channels and national daily, wherein the e-commerce hulk had screwed up with its recruitment details for the chosen 18 IIM- Ahmedabad graduates.

IIMians , the super geniuses , now on “sticky wicket” as Flipkart , the promiser of “100% Guarantee” had deferred the joining dates of the fresh recruits from June to as late as December . So far , the reputed IIM- Ahmedabad has reported the issue ,sending an extremely tenacious – worded letter to Flipkart , marking other B-schools as well, like , IIM- Bangalore , IIM- Lucknow and Faculty of Management (FMS) Delhi. Confirming the reply to which, both the institutes, IIM-L and IIM-B have mull to take further legitimate actions. Flipkart’s representatives, in their statement have justified to have taken this step by stating that “.the ongoing restructuring, the campus program will also go through a comprehensive overhaul to ensure that it is in line with our new business structure and that our campus recruits start working towards larger company goals from Day One. “, basically goofing-up the recruitment process for a benefit of the freshers, at large. Disappointed students, unsatisfied to such statement, have nothing left but to look only for other job alternatives .

Flipkart has definitely made them deem to one of their campaign’s tag line of “#ACHAKIYAJONAHILIYA” . But as it seems to be, it has done actually no good to the IIM pass outs. Paying heed to the undergoing stress of the students, Sapna Aggrawal , head of Career and Development services , IIM-A and IIM-B , has proposed a joint call with the stakeholders and other B-schools . She has also made a statement regarding the dilemma of the flummoxed students over either to wait till settlement of the issue or look for alternatives, as mentioned in a press. In consideration to which , Nitin Seth, Chief people Officer ,Flipkart , had addressed the situation ‘difficult’ to come up with a just solution , and further said that “It is important for us to bring our new campus recruits into an environment that is conducive to their learning and overall development,".

Sadly, the incident has shaken the entire pool of ‘talented’ students who had prior belief over the strength of the brand. As per one of the official blogging content, the incident shall carry the bitter traces in future as well, since prospective engagement of Flipkart with b-school campuses is bound to be stirred, as mistrust and lack of transparency can never be beneficial for any professional relationship. Also, the amount of 1.5 lakh offered as joining bonus hardly qualifies as compensation for seven months of forced unemployment. The unilateral decision shall severely affect the students who have gathered huge loans to pursue their education at such premium institute, financially. Resurfacing the urgency , the decision taking faculty at IIM with the campus perception of recruiters trickling down from one batch to the next, can significantly hurt Flipkart as a established brand, on campus during subsequent rounds of campus hiring in the years to come.

The ‘Anti- Flipkart squad’ of all placement heads and placement committees of all colleges, have decided to come forward in support of the affected students and would like to have a common conference call with the present CEO (Binny Bansal) to find an amicable solution. Further, the committee has demanded an undertaking signed by the CEO guaranteeing that every one of these selected students will be absorbed when the date of joining is finalized, no later than December. Also, that ‘either the period of deferment needs to be scaled down or the quantum of compensation for deferment needs to be ramped up (1.5 lakhs for a period of seven months is, to put it mildly, utterly unacceptable) to reflect x% of package’. The obligations are definitely minimal and are thus, required to be fulfilled in shorter span of time, for the satiety of both the parties.

Following the similar steps, Snapdeal , the evil stepbrother of Flipkart ,along with other booming companies like OLA, Uber and Quikr have significantly slashed the joining bonuses by 50 % and linking the pay to the performance of the individuals. The monopolist in e- payment, Paytm and the upcoming startup, LimeRoad have even declined to adhere to the policy of joining bonuses.

Making hollow commitments of hiring E-commerce biggie Flipkart is likely to lose its 'day one' status in Indian Institutes of Technology's (IIT's) campus placement programs, as a consequence of its clash with IIM . Due to cut-down shares and profits, increasing the growing numbers of doubtful investors, these tech-giants have been more cautious in selecting the recruits and their pay. With the funding frenzy cooling down and concerns of a valuation bubble rising, the tech-biz gurus have even become out of sight in campus selection days.

The Superhero startups seems to be going through a ‘ struggling phase’ all over again , since their beginning .all that can be asked for is that , Flipkart should hold on to its words of promise, i.e., “AB Har Wish Hogi Puri (Now, every desire shall be fulfilled) to win over the lost trust of its shattered, broken- hearted recruits. Also the “ Dil ki deal” of Snapdeal should give fair deals to the fresh talents who are eager to take a sight into the new ideas of business.

Child delivery is one of the most poignant moments in the life of a woman because the entire episode is about birth and rebirth. It is the beginning of a new circle of life because after the child comes into this world life changes. Child birth is one of the most natural processes in the world but it is also filled with danger when it comes to the safety of mother and child which is why throughout the ages women have practiced yoga as an excellent preparation for labor and delivery because the various asanas focus on stretching, strengthening the body and breathing.

Yoga is the most potent way to develop focus which is very important during this delicate time and also it creates a inner awareness so that would be mother can have clear head and not get distracted and just go with the moment. By maintain this rhythm during the birthing process it becomes less stressful for the mother and the movement of the baby through the birth canal. Since yoga revolves around improving breathing techniques which is essential when the child is being pushed out of the birth canal it actually helps in having deep focus throughout delivery.

Fact is many of the stretch movements of hatha yoga stimulate a very gentle massage for the baby, which in relaxation. Women who had given birth before actually expe notice that the babies they carried when they practiced in prenatal hatha yoga tend to stretch more and are more relaxed during the labor.The more healthy a pregnant woman is will have a direct impact on her baby and Hatha yoga practice help women to keep the the mind focused, and the body becomes strong and flexible.

After delivery many women find it difficult to recuperate but those women who practiced yoga not only had a more simple birthing experience they found themselves in a position to become active and getting back into shape faster. The breathing and relaxation techniques are helpful, along with some asanas which helps individual get their old postures and help to bring the body back into shape and in return give you more energy and focus which is much needed to take care of the new baby. That is why it is important to seek a teacher who has formal training through a reputed and accredited institute which is known for prenatal yoga.

One of the most joys moments in the life of women is when she is with a child. It is a wondrous time in a woman's life, when she experiences changes at both physical and emotional level which is why utmost care must taken and given during this happy but delicate journey. For a healthy outcome of pregnancy many experts in the field of prenatal health agree that hatha yoga practice is an effective way to prepare women for childbirth and to minimize discomforts of pregnancy.

It is helpful if a women is already practicing yoga before she gets pregnant, however if that is not the case one can take the advice of an expert and begin hatha yoga practice in a gentle way during the full term. Hatha asanas can be safely practiced by women of normal health or anyone who have may or may not have had complications related to past pregnancies. However it is strongly advised seek instruction from a qualified teacher who is a trained in prenatal Yoga specialist and is familiar with physical problems faced by women during pregnancy.

Hatha Yoga and Childbirth

Hatha yoga is an ancient, safe and natural method to prepare women for childbirth. It helps with breathing and relaxation techniques because these will come handy during labor. Also the various asanas help in stretching and strengthening of the body. Practices of yoga have helped women reducing stress levels, depression, giving relief to back and joint pain. When a women is pregnant it is important she gets lots of sleep which some women find it difficult. But yoga can help women get better sleep which will give them increased energy levels and lessen nausea. Pregnancy is not just about the health of women it also involves the health and development of the fetus but Yoga can help with increased blood supply and nourishment which is vital for a fetal development.

Other aspect of yoga is to give a individual the power of control over their body and during pregnancy a women’s body goes through a ocean of change and this includes both physical and mental. Many women begin to feel weighed down during the course of their pregnancy and hatha asanas can help with the process of regaining personal power by helping women refocus and balance their energy. It is important to remain in a positive state of mind and embrace the change your body is going through and yoga will allow you to have a deeper connection with your body and it becomes easier to accept the changes that are taking place and more importantly create a sacred bond with child long before delivery.

The room full of utter darkness and silence had turned into a clamorous bunch of sounds, when, ‘RAJ’ the hero, had slammed the glass door so hard that it could have made the dead awake. The wolves in the front row start to howl and whistle on his unbeatable dance moves over the catchy tune of the movie title. Almost everyone sobbed over the death of his beloved friend and sweared over their ‘true friendship’. But, the climax had definitely made everyone stuck to their seats when ‘Raj’ fought with 20 men, single handedly and made even the brute father to give away his heart and his beautiful daughter to our hero ‘Raj’. The room was again filled with the of a sound of claps showing jubilance on the victory of true love. That’s the magic of ‘INDIAN CINEMA’, offering diverse emotions over sequels of actions, dance, love story, and friendship: some base ingredients of any Indian movie.

The “filmi” blood definitely runs through our veins, as Indian cinema has taken the first position in terms of annual film output in the world.

But the world of Indian cinema is not just confined to one interest, one person or any predictive story line; it seeks to capture the beauty of everything in completely peculiar way. Indian directors have a thoughtful and a creative approach to depict the reality of life and it’s fortitude to meet its basic needs, which has won over several hearts of the spell-bounded audiences. Even the ideal ‘Indian hero’ has been reconstructed all over again.

FROM “MACHO” TO “CHOCOLATE BOY”

In the 40s, the Golden era of Bollywood industry, was flourishing with some fine actors and international award winning films like KAGAZ KE PHOOL of the bulky mustached Raj Kapoor, Mehboob khan’s MOTHER INDIA to the birth of “Anarkali” in Mughal-e- Azam with some cherished songs for generations to come. The 50s era was dominantly under the charm of Dillip kumar for the audience singing to the melodies of the romantic hero, Rajesh Khanna and yodeling to the craziness of Dev Anand over the compositions of Kishor Kumar and R.D. Burman.The 70s and 80s belonged to the tall, “angry young man”, Amitabh Bachchan,who had energized the youth with his larger than life movies like Zanjeer, Deewar and Agneepath,the ‘inventor’ of bellbottoms and side burns with a majestic style and capability to tackle the rough and tough villains, who have given almost an heatstroke with their threatening appearances and the beast, “respect –taker” of every fragile women. The 90’s belonged to the “lover boy “, king (“baadshah “) of romance, Sharukh khan. His charms and over –the –top boldness was a style statement to every young boy going to college with a latent desire to find his ‘ perfect Simran’ of dreams. From super –catchy tunes to the symphonies of romantic songs, Sharukh had made even the girls lose their mind over his charismatic personality. He had become so popular among the young generation that it even served to pose a threat to the experienced co-actors of his times, from the muscular, Sunny Deol to the dashing, Ajay Devgan.

FROM DREADLY LOOTERA TO AN EVIL SCIENTIST

From Gabbar of Sholay to “kaal” of krishh 3, they all have made a significant entry, almost taking away the heart beats of all the spectators. They have appeared to be so dreadful and ruthless,that made even the mothers to warn their children each time they tried to do any mischief,by saying “ Soja beta, warna Gabbar aajyega” ( Sleep, my son, or else Gabbar will be after you ). Even the heroines were snatched off from their macho –mans, giving an unspoiled twist to every Hindi plot. The idea of the villain in Indian movies, has most appropriately taken inspiration from the clever, supreme and the father of all villains, RAAVAN. However, just like Ramayana, each story has concluded on a happy note, depicting the triumph of good over the evil.

EVERGREEN BEAUTY TO AN UNCOVENTIONAL LUCY

Over and above everything was the transformation within the women league, which has glorified over the time, the “ evergreen’’ Hema Malini to the “Queen” of hearts, Kangana Ranawat, who have become the heartthrob of every Indian man and even won awards at the national level as well. Their grace, timeless beauty and their fashion sense which had been always cutting the edge, attempts to inspire the Indian woman in every walk of life. From elegantly draped sarees to bellbottoms,miniskirts,tank tops and so on.. have been adopted as a trending fashion. The Indian heroines have been always admired for their flawless beauty and charm that makes the hero, fall for her every time. Thus, undoubtingly, the infamous Bollywood actress, Katrina Kaif, received an international acknowledgement as she became the face of ‘ Barbie’ for her incomparable looks and a perfect template, to be idolized by women of all ages. To add the taste of reality to the superficial characters new Hindi movies depict women to be shown with boldness in terms of carrying herself and celebrating womanhood. Movies like Kahaani, Queen, English Vinglish to NH10 are movies wherein the woman protagonist had stolen the show.

FROM “MEANING” TO PURE “MASALA”

However, being subject to a large number of audience, films are always perceived differently by sections of characterized watchers. Hence, the evolution of Bollywood is nothing but the change in the outlook of the spectators due to the growing need to be “modern” with time.Inspiring from the Hollywood action sequels and boldness, the Indian audience has always expected more from Bollywood, to which the birth of several concepts like, “ MASALA” film and high budget films that are being shooted in foreign locales has taken place.

NOTE : A “masala” movie is the one which serves to provide action sequels, along with a romantic love story, groovy dance steps and a class-apart music album ( just the one described in the beginning) The “item numbers” which were earlier considered as “taboo” now seem to be the ‘hit machine’ for every flick. Even the songs which earlier were composed in consideration to depict the “Indian values” are now no less than a senseless rhyming jingles, at large.

From all time loved songs of Kishor kumar, India’s nightingale Lata mangeshkar, Jagjit Singh,Sadhana sangam and so many to named to the new and fresh singers like Arijit Singh, and the versatile playback singers like Sunidhi Chauhan, Sonu Nigam, Mohit Chauhan and many upcoming talents have taken over the Indian music industry.

Giving a new edge to the Indian music industry, is the famous rapper and composer, YO YO HONEY SINGH ( as he is famously known as ) in a lead over Baadshah, Raftaar, A-bazz and more.Pre-this era,Bollywood music which was dominantly Hindi lyrical songs is now being largely captured under the growing love for Punjabi songs and the meaningful “in-depth” Sufi rhythms. Yet, somewhere or the other, the bollywood music seems to lose it’s real essence in terms of explicit lyrics.

From ‘neele neele ambar par’ to ‘aaj blue hai paani’, the words seem to just lose their point. Accepting the fact, such songs are the ‘party –breakers’ and under the ‘must play’ list of every disco and lounges, they sometimes seem to annoy a segmented crowd. Undenying the fact, vague words sung on raunchy tunes often seem to attract the young generation and also subject to controversies, which further adds to their popularity.

Angered over the song of Honey Singh, “ main balatkari”, which only later people had came to know that it had been not penned down by the rapper himself, had took huge publicity, in the backdrop of a recent case of gang rape. The ‘yo yo’ rapper had always took the center of the stage for his contentious compositions, but still manages to be a major ‘youth –lover’. He had also became the judge of a television show, first ever of its kind, “India ‘s Raw Star” attracting good TRP.

A “NEW” AND POSITIVE CHANGE

From bollywood songs to the movie conceptualization, to the idolization of a ‘perfect man’ and the myths of a beautiful woman, all seem to be a journey of thousand miles proposing indiscriminate thoughts and inculcating assorted experiences.Each time the spectators enter the ‘dark room’ they come out with a mixed bag of emotions and learning the already learnt. From the sense of sheer joy to inspiration, bollywood has evolved from being a source of entertainment to the voice of youth. Films like RANG DE BASANTI, UDAAN, 3 IDIOTS, TAARE ZAMEEN PAR and NO ONE KILLED JESSICA have encouraged the youth to stand up for their rights and making them aware of such incidents as well. Issues like child molestation, the ruthlessness of politics and medically diagnosed reading disorder, dyslexia and rare genetic disorder, progeria ( in the movie ‘ PAA’) has actually made the audiences aware and be more sensitive to such issues which were earlier ignored by the society.

Perceptions to such novelties have always been grasped differently. To some this revolution is simply a characteristic of ‘modernization’ and boldness of expressions, but to others, this appears to be the growth of Indian cinema, globally. Which side holds the truth, or do they both complement each other is a tangled thought to give. As of now, nothing can be predicted just like that climax of a suspense thriller where the mystery is yet to be solved. All what sounds rational is to sit and ‘watch’ what ‘the show’ promises, because “picture abhi baaki hai mere,dost” ( the show is not over yet, my friend). So let the ‘black room’ always be a box of surprise, waiting for the spectators to be astounded.

Are you one of those who are always conscious of how they look, what clothes they wear when they go out, and what make up they put on?

This summer, get a makeover in the best and latest styles and single out in the crowd of millions. There was a time when sophistication was the order of the day; but the present era is the age of carefreeness, comfortable yet elegant self.

WATCH OUT BEFORE YOU TAKE A LOAD: Carry a small sling bag instead of loading a heavy weight bag on your back to avoid sweating and uneasiness. The lighter you go, the better you feel.

LOCK THE FALL: Let your hair be tied in a messy bun or high ponytail to suit the latest trends. Let us say, give a halt to your ever favourite hair falling loose on you back. If you still feel the need to open, then wear a scarf to avoid direct contact of your hair on your neck as it causes irritation and sweating.

MINIMAL ACCESSORIES COVER UP: It is a time when neck pieces and bracelets kill away your patience and burden you with uneasiness. Be free, and don’t overload yourself with things that don’t matter. You look beautiful just the way you are, small artificial things don’t add to your glow, except on some occasions when your attire demands the presence of your accessory.

HATS ON: Hats are trendy, it add stars to your one piece knee- length western outfit or a vibrant trendy loose fitting garment. Not only this, it even protects your head from burning hot in afternoons and protects your eyes from direct sunlight. Let your style be complemented with styles that matter.

NO BRIGHT OVER RATED MAKE UP: Make up in summer should just be to lighten dark pores to remove visible blemishes. It shouldn’t be dark and excessive. Make it as light as possible, preferably just wear eye make- up. A liner and mascara on your eyes and a simple lip gloss will make your face glow satiating the feel of finishing touch.

This is the most important part of your attire- confidence. No matter how costly and perfect fitted clothes you are wearing, you would still look horrible if you are unable to carry yourself. ‘Beauty lies within you’; wear what suits your body. Create your own fashion. Fashion, today, is not determined by what is sold in the market, but the set combination of what you wear to suit your personality. Be simple and elegant. Remember, the clothes you wear don’t define you but your confidence. Your elegance is your precious possession. Be smart, confident, dynamic and shine around in all weather throughout your existence.

Stop being conscious, redefine your own self with what you think perfectly suits you.

Be a newer you- because we respect uniqueness.

Atychiphobia : the abnormal, persistent fear of FAILURE.

The one diagnosed with such condition, tends to have the aversion to risk taking and leads a ‘clinched’ life. The victim considers his situation as unreal which makes it largely a subconscious problem. That’s something the unequivocal source on the internet says.

What does it actually connote?

Living in a world full of opportunities with a high probability that it shall be a ‘ bright sunny’ day, yet wearing a raincoat to the office in the non-bearing scorching heat. Now, think that it has actually rained, and so wearing a raincoat turns out to be fruitful, but now another fear of facing a flood may boil up.

What would be step two ? Arranging a boat and call off the work?. Sounds absurd ?. It could be, but not for those actually undergoing this riotous experience. Some of the reasons of being detected to such phobia are heredity, genetics, brain chemistry and life experiences. Majorly, being extensively traumatized or embarrassed due to a life incident can enhance your chances to be a victim of Atychiphobia. Worse of everything is that, it is most common among young school children, who are under constant pressures of competition and ‘scoring high ‘ burden. The child witnesses the symptoms of increased heartbeat, high blood pressure, nausea, shortness of breath and a massive destruction to self-confidence resulting into depression, as per a study. The sufferer, his family, specifically parents and sometimes even the school turns a blind-eye to such traces. “If your child can’t stand the competition, I fear what he’ll do in his life “, “ you have to hit the sky, my child, the world out there is full of competition “ or “ don’t make excuses to avoid studying!” – are some of the most commonly heard remarks to the victim. Dear parents and teachers, ever wondered about the other side of the story? What if your child is unable to handle so much, since he was not born with this latent talent of becoming ‘ #1’, what if he lacks the capability to excel academically and secretly watches the football tournament every time you close the door and expect him to study, or what if he is actually having a mental breakdown due to excessive stress but never turned up to you, only if you had ever understood him. All of this could be true or maybe not, but in most of the cases, the child has been never provided with any priority pertaining to his own intellectual thoughts or his ‘unidealistic’ capabilities. Talking about one of such incidents, where a boy of age 17 had committed suicide or more precisely, died out of unfulfilled expectations of his family, as he had managed to score “only 60 percent” in his class 12th results. Even though “ the family did not raise the issue with him”(let’s believe this ), he was so terrorized that he couldn’t turn to his family and ended his life behind a closed door. This is what stirred the neighbourhood after the results were declared. Another boy of the same age,from a nearby district of Coimbatore, had collapsed to the fear of failing even before the results were announced. His ’ redundant’ score was 71 percent. The son of a retired postal employee, had expressed his fears already to his parents, but unable to gather some courage to tackle the forthcoming situation, he gave up, only when his parents had gone out. A failure to even escape her failure, had made the public take a notice of the rising numbers of suicide, when a girl of age 17 had devised a plan to end ‘it’ up, as her parents had forced her to take the stream of not her choice. When she had barely able to pass the subject, she slit her wrist after being scolded by her parents – as reported in a national daily.

With the highest numbers of suicide in India, according to W.H.O, where every hour 15 people give up on their lives!.The students contribute to 19 percent of the total yearly suicides, implying nearly 25thousand student toll. “ Suicide not only harms the immediate family, but also the community”, and with an immeasurable size and behemothic impact, such numbers have significantly shook the nation and has raised questions over the current education system, the cut-throat competition during the entrances and the sky-rocketing admission cut- offs of reputed universities and institutions. For a student facing the same, has no idea but to be a part of the ‘herd’ and keep on pushing himself until he gets through the side where the grass is greener. But what about the one who couldn’t handle it, the feeble sheep? It may all turn out to be a nightmare for it, as the wolf starving for it’s failure would chase it till the ultimate slaughter. “But in the end, one needs more courage to live than to kill himself.” – Albert Camus, highlights the fact it takes serious courage to keep moving on with a life which is just ridden with pain. However, the debate of considering suicide a brave act or not, is something dispensable.

To understand the overtaxed minds of the individuals facing such jitters and rat race is the perquisite for the present scenario. Atychiphobia as discussed before, is meagerly due to a dreadful life experiences and so can be squared off prominently by talk therapy, counseling to help the patient to get off chest with such fears. Experts recommend that the most effective treatment is self-motivation. Encouraging oneself to face every new day may actually reduce fears of imaginary troubles. Breaking the task into small manageable pieces and then doing it gradually is also suggested. It shall help the patient to realize that facing a failure is not the end of the world and there is always a scope to outperform next time. For the young students, they are advised to not become subject to the mistakes of undermining oneself and living in the superstitions of the world to run over digits and percentages. Also, there is a dire need for the parents to recognise their child’s potential and what other qualities the child can give him an edge over his fellow competitors rather than preparing him to be an underdog to fight over his spot. A note to the teachers as well, not every child could be the ‘apple of your eyes’, he can have creative capabilities not constrained just to the essays of English, or he can be an agile player and dodge the ball faster than you could that solve that algebra problem. Every child is tender and is sui-generis. Let the child be nurtured with his own discrete thoughts on life and mark his own destinations. Nothing is dull or lustrous per say, it’s the perception which divides the line of asymmetry. The words of wisdom say, “You are a marvel. You are unique. In all the years that have passed, there has never been another child like you. Your legs, your arms, your clever fingers, the way you move. You may become a Shakespeare, a Michelangelo, a Beethoven. You have the capacity for anything.” – Henry David Thoreau

Be the one ‘undefined’ by the society, carry the super powers of yourself and aim the beam of enlightenment on those with superficial communal weapons.

Once again the education system of Bihar has been brought into limelight and put to interrogation over the competency of students, soon after the results of Intermediate examinations were declared on Tuesday. Two topper students of Vishun Dev Ray College have reported some questionable topics taught in college. The interviews of these two toppers from Arts and Science streams went viral on Tuesday which showed that they lack even the basic knowledge about their subjects. Ruby Ray, who topped the inter in Arts stream pronounced ‘Political Science’ as ‘Prodigal Science’ and claimed to be taught cooking, describing that the is subject related to cookery. Saurabh Sresth, who topped the inter in Science stream didn’t know about the electrons and protons and told the interviewers that Aluminum (Al) is the most reactive element in the Periodic Table.

Embarrassed by this media exposure of education quality in Bihar the Education Minister Ashok Chaudhary has ordered a high-level probe into the alleged swapping of original answer sheets with probably similar hand-written answer sheets and well-written answer sheets. The probe will be completed in 10 days, and persons, teachers involved and found guilty will be dismissed from their government jobs, reported The Times of India. Also other fourteen students who topped Class 12 exams to take re-tests, as the results showed a major dip in the pass percentage which the education committee promptly attributed to clampdown of using unfair means but after the interviews of the toppers of Vishun Dev Ray College, reports of mass cheating backed by a section in the education department have surfaced, reported Hindustan Times. The results therefore, as of now are put to hold since the marks scored and knowledge demonstrated by the students are failing to connect. Ruby and Saurabh are subjected to re-write the test and interview before a panel of subject experts today on June 3.

The reported college in question is run by Baccha Ray, who is a political member of Lalu Prasad’s political party. In 2014, his daughter Shalini Ray had also scored 97 percent in her 10th Board exams. This college had made to the headlines of news in the previous year too, when 220 students of Science stream had scored exactly same marks. It is been found that the students coming for admission in this college are guaranteed best scores in exams beforehand. Also this college’s fee is ten times more than the other colleges. An Official on query told the reporters that high fees is due to definite good results in exams. Though the head of college, Baccha Ray, expunges the news and said that the good results are an outcome of good education, Education Minister admitted the lapse hence the board, along with the teachers and institutions will be held accountable.

Photographs of hundreds of people scaling walls of a Bihar school building to help students cheat in the Class 10 board exams last year had left the nation gaping in disbelief and raised question marks over the education system in the State and now yet once again this fiasco has sullied the image of State. Education Minister Ashok Chaudhary has expressed that this is setback since the State government had hoped to successfully conduct cheating-free exams to erase the bad reports of previous year.

Repeated events of this sort are raising questions like, is the education imparted by Bihar board at all reliable for young students? If not, then isn’t the board taking any consideration in shaping the future of the students or just trifling with it? Are the toppers supposed to be like the toppers of Vishun Dev Ray College? Altogether, the main question raised is that, can the education quality be banked upon the entire examination committee of education department of Bihar? Well, so far no answers have been found. But despite the debacle the state assures the morale of genuine teachers and students will not fail.

The NDA government kicked off their survey of the last two years of their government according to which modernization of Indian Railways tops the list. This is a very happy news for the Railway Minister Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu who is trying to implement ways to reform the face of the railway network in India.

Indian Railways is one of the largest railway network in the world comprising of about 115,000 km of track over a route of 65,808 km and 7,112 stations. It is also world’s seventh largest utility employer with number of employees over 1.376 million and runs Freight wagons, Passenger coaches and Locomotives.

Very recently, at the end last month from May 26, 2016 to June 1, 2016 was celebrated as the ‘Rail Humsafar Saaptah’ to mark the completion of two years of Prime Minister Modi’s government. Each day from May 26 to May 31 was celebrated with one theme each. May 26 was observed as ‘Swachchta Diwas’ and efforts for intensive cleanliness drive on all stations and trains were undertaken. May 27 was observed as ‘Satkaar Diwas’ in which officers would be deputed to inspect all catering establishments and drinking water facilities at stations and in trains to ensure that all the trains having pantry cars are inspected and catering units at stations are checked. May 28 was celebrated as ‘Sewa Diwas’ involving each train, other than sub-urban commuting trains,were monitored by an officer between 10 AM to 4 PM. These nominated officers traveled by these trains and interacted with passengers in all classes and ensured that amenities, as required, were provided and grievances were redressed. May 29 was celebrated as ‘Satarkta Diwas’ on which punctuality and ticket checking drive were undertaken. May 30 was celebrated as ‘Saamanjasya Diwas’ where teams of concerned officers inspected all the railway staff colonies along with representatives of recognised unions who undertook to cleanliness drive in the colonies for their upkeep and maintenance. Also each zonal railway planted at least 1000 trees in each division. May 31 was observed as ‘Sanyojan Diwas’ as a day when all GMs and DRMs held meetings and seminars with all major freight traffic customers to advise them about the various reforms and policy initiatives on the freight traffic side and to ask them to improve rail transportation. Lastly, the week long celebration ended on June 1 which was observed as ‘Sanchar Diwas’ with observation as a day of communication holding meetings with media representatives.

This week-long celebration of NDA government should be validated perhaps because a substantial development is clearly noticed. Modi government’s budget plans for Indian Railway seems worth the modernization actions undertaken. Lets see the various changes made in different sections of railway.

PASSENGER AMENITIES & SERVICES AND SYSTEM

The railways launched all India helpline no.s’s 138 and 182 to report complaints and unsavory incidents, respectively. A ‘Customer Complaint Web Portal and Mobile application (Android/Windows based) was launched. E-catering services were introduced in 134 pairs of trains with a view to serve meal to the passengers at their seat by placing order through a phone call, SMS or website. E-concierge services were started at 22 stations. Also, first ‘Green DEMU’ train was introduced on Northern Railway to run between Rewari- Rohtak section. Six pilgrim tourist trains were introduced in the last year to cover Hindu pilgrims centers, Jain pilgrim centers and Sikh pilgrim centers. E-enabled Project Monitoring Information System (PMIS) was launched in April, 2016. Drone video-graphy has been introduced for ongoing projects. This will enable close monitoring of various projects on Indian Railways. Wait-list woes are one experience that unites all India for sure. I’m sure it has happened with all of us that we had to cancel our important plans because of a long waiting list in much needed trains. Well, railways has found a new solution to resolve this problem by introducing ‘Clone Trains’ to accommodate passengers in waiting list with seats which will run after an hour of scheduled train’s departure. This feature to be facilitated on high-demand routes.

INFRASTRUCTURE

Indian Railway took steps to make railways bio-friendly to contribute in environment preservation by introducing Bio-toilets which will lessen the pollution on train tracks by converting the waste into environment-friendly substances that won’t corrode the tracks. Around 10,159 bio-toilets already been fitted by March 2015. Steps are also taken to use Solar Energy. 30 KW Solar Plant has been commissioned at roof top of Rail Bhawan at New Delhi. Katra Station is now solar powered. Railways signed MoU to set up its own Railway Design Center in collaboration with National Institute of Design (NID). Three separate MOUs were signed with the states of Orissa, Jharkand and Chhatisgarh for critical coal connectivity projects to improve transportation of coal. In 2014-15, 1983 km of railway lines have been commissioned and 1375 km of railway electrification completed. This is the best ever performance of Indian Railways. Indian Railways and Ministry of Water Resources to jointly work for creating logistics hubs with rail connectivity on National Waterways. Indian railways commissioned around 4800 kilometers of broad gauge track in last two years which is a record performance. As compared to this, Railways have been commissioning at an average of about 1,530 km per financial year in the previous five years of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA). In addition, 2,132 railway over bridges and under bridges were completed at an average of 1,066 per year, as compared to an average of 763 per year in the previous five years. Also, Indian Railways eliminated 2,433 unmanned level crossings in the NDA’s last two years.

NORTH EAST

The much awaited Lumding-­Silchar Broad gauge section was inaugurated giving seamless broad gauge connectivity to Barak Valley of Assam with the rest of the country. Meghalaya comes on the rail map with the flagging off of the first ever train from Guwahati to Medipathar in Meghalaya by the Prime Minister. He also laid the foundation for a new line to take rail connectivity to Mizoram’s capital Aizwal. Director train connectivity started from Delhi to Itanagar, the capital of Arunachal Pradesh. The first ever perishable cargo center set up Adarsh Nagar station in Delhi to help farmers.

HIGH SPEED TRAINS

Looks like speed is the new mantra for our present government’s Make in India plan by roping in countries like Germany, Japan and Spain with plans of High Speed Trains like Bullet and Talgo trains. Reports of study by Japan for Bullet Train on Mumbai-Ahemdabad corridor were received in 2015. This is the biggest investment announcement that came from Rail Minister Prabhu that a high-speed train (Bullet train) to be introduced at a cost of Rs.97,636 crore. The train will cover a distance of around 508km in approximately two hours and will be funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). China has also undertaken the study of introducing Bullet Train on New Delhi-Chennai corridor.

High- speed Spanish Talgo train’s first trial run conducted successfully on Bareilly-moradabad line in Uttar pradesh on May 29, 2016. Talgo trains are lighter and faster therefore are energy-efficient and can help save extra-energy by 30 percent. These trains can run at a speed of 115 kilometers per hour over curves without decelerating the speed. During this first trial run it covered 90 kilometers in 70 minutes.

FINANCIAL ACHIEVEMENTS

As a measure to restructure the Indian Railways, Minister Prabhu constituted two new directorates: Mobility Directorate, which will look at the mobility plans and identify and prioritize train corridors for raising speed, and, Non-Fare Revenue Directorate to focus on areas for enhancing revenues by 10% to 20% from non-tariff sources. He is also exploring advertisements as a way of revenue.

During 2014-15, the Railways’ total earnings were Rs.157880.50 crore, registering an increase of 12.16 per cent over the previous year. Also carried 1097.578 million tonnes of revenue earning freight, showing an increase of 4.18 percent over the previous year. It has succeeded in achieving the 91.1% target of operating ratio in 2014­15 which is an improvement over 93.6% achieved in 2013-­14. The government is also to impose ‘Krishi Kalyan cess’ of 0.5 per cent on service tax on all AC class tickets, freight and parcels, implemented from June 1, 2016 onward.

Amid the one year of Modi’s term, Ministry of Railways has claimed several new beginnings and key reforms, but are now and then reportedly put to question, as to whether or not are really the present government’s improvements or credits usurped for someone else works. As per reports, by media and government, we as citizens of India, really aren’t at a position to know the highlights and reports are true to present times or a later publication of earlier achievements. But the one thing we can truly claim is that, these reports or highlights have been brought to the citizens notice only recently, for which, at least the credit goes to the current ruling NDA government and hope it fulfills all the potential plans and make Indian Railways a world-class railway network.

Summeris here and it is the perfect time to flaunt those beautiful summer dresses. But so is the apprehension of losing your gorgeous skin. If you are worried that this scorching heat, and burning flames are going to spoil your skin, then I think, it is the right time for you to follow these tips to keep your skin from going dull, dry and blemished. We must pay special attention to the skin and should adapt the skin care routine according to the season. Here are some tips for glowing and healthy skin during this summer:

Water: It is the best and most effective remedy. It not only quenches the thirst but also helps to flush out the toxins and waste that accumulate in the body. During summer, our body dehydrates more than it does normally, so we need to drink at least 8-10 glasses of water per day. We can also increase the intake of fluids like fruit juices, coconut water, green tea, buttermilk and mango panna to decrease the heat level and keep the body cool and hydrated. Green tea is high in antioxidants which help to eliminate dead skin cells and the anti-inflammatory, anti-carcinogenic properties in green tea protects against a variety of skin disorders. Fluids help to detoxify the skin and keep the skin soft, dewy and clear. Avoid drinking sodas and aerated drinks completely.

Eat Right: What goes into your stomach is linked directly to how your skin looks. Eating junk and processed foods not only creates deficiency of nutrients, but also leads to toxins in the body. So include lots of fruits with high water-content like watermelon, grapefruits, cantaloupe, peaches, pineapples, etc. Eating skin-friendly foods such as green-leafy vegetables in the form of salads, steamed veggies are prime in order to load up on antioxidants and flavonoids.

Tan-removal packs: Once in a while opt for tan-removal packs along with your cleansing, moisturizing and toning rituals. It is one of the major problems skin has to suffer through in hot summers. Some of the best and easiest homemade tan-removal packs are-

Lemon and Aloe Vera face pack- Lemon is one of the best citrus fruits that have rich medicinal and cosmetic benefits. it is a natural bleaching agent and an antioxidant which combats the free radicals that accumulate on skin surfaces. It is also rich in vitamin C, and the intake of lemon juice would fetch you a glowing skin. Aloe Vera on the other side is a short stemmed succulent plant that produces antiseptics that have the super power to kill any kind of bacteria, fungi and viruses that settle on the skin due to pollution, dust and other reasons. All you need to do is juice a lemon and besides that also mash the aloe vera leaves. Mix them properly until an aromatic paste is formed. Apply this onto the tanned area of the skin and allow it to dry. You need to apply this paste twice or thrice a day to cleanse and prevent your skin from getting tanned from time-to-time. This is also an effective cure for dark circles around eyes.

Curd and gram flour face pack-

Curd is a great exfoliating agent that removes dead skin cells and also moisturizes the skin deeply. It helps in cooling the skin that is continuously exposed to sunlight for hours. Gram flour is widely used in whitening your skin and it really helps in giving an instant glow to your skin. Take curd and gram flour in equal quantities and mix well by adding lemon juice in proportions. Apply this paste to face, neck and other body parts such as hands and feet. Pat it dry and wash it with warm water. This can be applied twice a week which ultimately results in soft glowing skin.

Cool showers: Warm showers during the summer season can further dry out your skin ans make it susceptible to tanning. So, opt for cool showers in order to keep the skin fresh and hydrated.

Sunscreen: Applying sunscreen creams and lotions on the skin before going out into the sun helps not only prevent skin darkening and skin damage but also protects the skin from the harsh UV-A and UV-B rays of the sun that can lead to skin cancer. The sunscreen lotion should be applied at least 15 to 30 minutes before going out in the sun. Always apply a sunscreen which contains high SPF, 30 minutes before stepping out in the sun. Reapply the sunscreen every two hour and opt for a waterproof sunscreen. Try to stay indoors during 10 am to 4 pm as the sun rays are harshest during that time and can have adverse effects on the skin.

So follow these simple tips and it will help you to get rid of all the worries regarding your skin and will give you a lot of confidence to face the world. So get ready to flaunt a better, younger and glowing skin this summer.

The definition of comedy has been evolving just as a nation’s surges to development, and so it is understood discordantly. ’Restlessness ‘to some and a ‘revolution ‘to others. The set back to any satire , or a ridicule over a given community has always made an ‘entertainer’ fall prey to a sea of commotions . Since Chaplin’s era to American funny bone , JOHN OLIVER and now of the infamous , Indian stand-up comedian ,KAPIL SHARMA , all have been a victim to social , political and ethical beliefs prescribed by the bounded rules of society. Recently , a parody based on the character of an Indian nurse , spelled troubles for the ‘loved’ television comedian , Kapil Sharma to face the rage of a community of nurses from Amritsar claiming the act as “ vulgar” and attempts to objectifying nurses in an unacceptable manner.

Now , in the same league is the Co- founder of one of the most followed ‘ comedy gang ‘ , AIB , Tanmay Bhatt,who has became indigestible crunch for almost every Maratha leader. This wasn’t something new to the “tragedy mein comedy” king, Tanmay ,as his ‘funny’ team had been bombarded with 5 legitimate PIL over their roast show offering ‘ filthy’ content. Finding it still passable , Tanmay continued his comedy style as his video , titled “Sachin Vs Lata Civil war “ went viral all over the social media and YouTube . The humorist , “face swapped “ the the two legends , LATA MANGESHKAR and SACHIN TENDULKAR , and further initiating a chucklesome conversation between them . Expecting the public to go bananas over the joke , it had turned some of the faces red over the sketch. The video reportedly turned down a large section of the Maratha community and was considered a disgrace to national integrity. In the agitation towards the same , the political luminaries like , Raj Thakeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) , winning BJP state president , Ashish Shelar and the ‘ no –nonsense’ tolerating , Shiv Sena had asked the CM , Devendra Fadnavis to file a suit against AIB. Under the pressures due to the same, Mumbai police has asked the legal experts to remove the content from Google and YouTube. Being uprooted from his social rights, due to political efficacy, Tanmay also has fallen prey to ‘serious threats’ and warnings . Even the people of his industry , Kiku Sharda , who had been behind the bars to imitate one of the spiritual leaders, believes that it’s an act of shameful desertion and “there is limit to everything”. Considering it as a unjust humour , the rising speaker , Anupam kher called the video having “no humour” at all. Bashful comments and tweets became a common phenomenon in past 2 days on Twitter and Facebook . Never showing a back to his haters, Tanmay Bhatt came up with a meme depicting his feeling of ‘déjà vu’ , as it reminded him of his past struggles post the AIB ROAST show . Such incidents held a commonplace in the past as well. Louis CK , renowned American stand-up artist had fell trapped to a great hustle when in , on one of the shows named ‘ Saturday Night Live’ , he made a controversial remark on racism and child molestation ( that was quite harsh!) . Presuming the crowd’s reaction he said that it could be his ‘last show’ . Luckily, his apology to the public had saved his career to plunge over. Another incident where , with the growing popularity under the list of ‘the most hated men in UK’ in 2001 , Chris Morris, had became displeasure to the eyes of journalists, politicians and general public when he showcased a sarcastic display of media’s “ hysterical” behavior and moral panic in pedophilia. Lastly , the “Jam” had added some sweetness to his professional downs. He carries his dark drape of mystery still with himself along his class apart surrealism and controversial humor. Despite of being ridiculed over their buffoonery traits , these ‘ funny brave men’ lead out their ways to overwhelming success and fame . Anticipating a similar verdict for the Indian gag-man, Tanmay who is now facing a craggy battle of ‘true humour’ and unreal controversies ( atleast for a AIB fan) , where the opponents having sublime thoughts , the social media has became the ‘judge’ . May the judgment be granted with some ‘ chill’ , as the country starves to have good reasons to laugh at . Rather than beginning a daily routine with a newspaper having bunch of disappointing and sensible truth , why not with a merry , “funny to many” ,no – brainer joke? Has India became more intolerant to jokes than to it’s own set of below –the – par issues ? and Yes, the answer to these questions should surely not be funny. Thus ,there is a need to understand that definition of comedy is wavering , per say , and is subject to unalike reactions. So , sit back and relax , because “it was just a joke!”.

Karoly Takacs (21 January, 1910- 5 January,1976) became the World’s best shooting hand twice, both in 1948 London Olympics and 1952 Helsinki Olympics. He was the first man who consequently won Olympics twice. This is just a part of his incredible story and his determination.

Born in Budapest, Karoly joined the Hungarian army. He had won all the national championships that took place in Hungary and he had a dream and an ardent desire to make his hand the ‘best shooting hand’ of the World. By 1936, he was a world-class pistol shooter, but he was denied a place in the Hungarian shooting team for the 1936 Summer Olympics on the grounds that he was a sergeant, and only commissioned officers were allowed to compete. This prohibition on Hungary came to an end after the Berlin games, and Takacs focused on 1940 Olympics which were scheduled to be held in Tokyo.

In 1938, he became a victim of an unfortunate mishap. While training with his army squad, a hand grenade exploded in Karoly’s right hand, and his shooting hand was blown off. His dream came to a standstill for once. Now he had two options: either to feel sorry for himself the whole life, or make a new start. But, winners like Karoly Takacs know in their heart that quitting is not an option. He recovered in one month after all his surgeries and started practising with his only hand. At that moment, he rather attempted to do something great and fail than to attempt to do nothing and succeed. He still carried the same dream of making his hand the ‘best shooting hand’ in the world. Nobody knew what he is up to, maybe because he didn’t want gluing discouraging eyes and believed in the principle of ‘Action speaks louder than words.’ In 1939, after one long year of passionate and focused practice sessions, he showed up at the Hungarian Pistol Shooting Championship. Other shooters came forward to sympathise with Karoly and congratulate him for displaying the true sportsman spirit to come watch them shoot and increase their morale and confidence. But, his reply astonished everyone. He said, “ I didn’t came to watch, I came to compete.” All the shooters competed with their best hands whereas on the other hand, Karoly used his only hand. And guess who won? The man with the only hand. He didn’t rest, his aim was clear; to make his end the best shooting hand of the world.

His life’s challenges were yet not over. The 1940 and 1944 Olympics were cancelled due to World War II. He was ageing and his time was running out. It looked like he will never be able to conquer his dream. But, finally, he surprised the world by winning a gold medal in the Olympics.

Even now, he didn’t stop. He again appeared in 1952 Olympics and the man with the only hand made a world record of simultaneously being the Olympics champion twice. He also attended the 1956 summer Olympics in Melbourne, finished eighth and failed to win the third time.

His story gave him a place among the ‘Olympic heroes’ of the International Olympic Committee. He is the third known physically disabled athlete to have competed in the Olympic games after George Eyser and Oliver Hallassy followed by Liz Hartel and Neroli Faizhak. After his shooting career, Takacs became a coach. He trained Hungarian Szilard Kun who won the silver medal at 1952 summer Olympics. He ended his army career as a lieutenant Colonel.

Karoly’s life is a set example for all those who blame circumstances for their failures. Unlike others, he is a man with the mental toughness to recover back quickly from anything. Life was cruel to him, but it is hard to beat a person who never gives up. If he would have wallowed in misery, he would have lost his mental edge –the eyes of a tiger and the determination of an ant. Truly quoted, ‘Champions are not the people who never fail, but the people who never quit.’

His life is a testimony of how firm determination can help us to cross all obstacles, however difficult they may seem.

His story reminds me of the golden words of C.W. Longenecker,

“When things go wrong as they sometimes will,

When the road you’re trudging seems all uphill.

Rest if you must, but NEVER QUIT.”

Let Karoly’s life be an example for all those who opt for excuses and blame circumstances for their downfall. Be firm, and work for your dreams because nothing is impossible.

Quite familiar to this ‘heard’ statement, people usually find a bizarre yet an amusing element about how easy it is to be divorced in the Islamic religion. However, it won’t be funny for a woman practicing Islam as her husband warns her from uttering the first ‘talaq’. Often, what the holy Quran says is misinterpreted, causing severity to the lives of many. The female counterpart is often deprived of her own rights and the demands for financial support from her husband after the divorce procedure is completed. In practice, she is also denied to live alone but only with her family. On the contrary to which , one of the Aayats , of the Quran , has specified the legitimate right of every Muslim women , which is called ‘khula’ to seek divorce or separation from her husband . In addition, if her husband refuses her decision, she has the right to petition aqadi, to grant her divorce. Also, according to Quran’s Sura 2 (Al –baqara ) Aayat 235, implicates the responsibilities on divorcee and divorcer on behalf of their children, prohibits interventions from previous husband in the divorced woman’s life.

To no surprise such rules are non-existent in reality, as the suppressed counterpart is oftenly, deprived of her rights and subjected to cruelty, ill-treatment and lack of financial support from their shohars.

IMPLICATIONS OF THE TRIPLE TALAQ

In the ?alaq divorce, the husband pronounces the phrase "I divorce you" (talaq) to his wife. A man may divorce his wife three times, taking her back after the first two. After the third talaq they can't get back together until she marries someone else. Some do a "triple ?alaq”, in which the man says in one sitting "I divorce you" three times (or "I divorce you, three times", "you're triple divorced"). But , Many Islamic scholars believe there is a waiting period involved between the three talaqs. Surprisingly, the practice of "triple ?alaq" at one sitting has been legally recognized historically and has been particularly practiced in Saudi Arabia.

Ethically, the talaq procedure involves three ‘easy’ steps:

Indian television today is filled with loads of saas-bahu soaps and reality shows leaving very little to the interest of the urban youth and tech-savvy viewers. Viewers like me, watch TV only for live shows or sports. Naturally, it is no surprise that the youth of my age are hitting the internet and video-sharing websites like Youtube, etc., for entertainment interests. Numerous online digital entertainment portals are coming into existence some of which have already become a huge hit among the youngsters and urban viewers. These entertainment portals are producing Web series or shows, meant completely for Internet, which is actively catching the fancy of the audiences as well as the content producers and advertisers.

I happen to encounter such series through another such social platform i.e. Facebook. On seeing the number of likes and shares on the post caught my interest. It was definitely an interesting watch. Immediately after watching it, I shared it with my friends who also liked it hugely. A few of these popular web series are a production of TVF (The Viral Fever), Y-Films, Pechkas Pictures, Scoopwhoop Talkies, etc. ‘Pitchers’ by TVF is ranked 25th by the IMDB (Internet Movie Database) as of today among Top Rated TV shows. Some other popular Web series are ‘Permanent Roommates’, ‘Man’s World’, ‘Bang Baaja Baarat’, etc.

These series for that matter are popular not for one but various reasons. Reasons I think makes these web series so popular :

It mostly targets the audience from a particular age group, for example15-35, such as high school students, college-goers and doing jobs who form the major internet target audiences.

These Web Series are easily accessible on the Internet in Youtube and other online channels where they can be watched for free of cost.

While we, the viewers, don’t claim that these internet series, since so popular, are taking over the TV but are undeniably up for a good competition. They are no doubt presenting us with certainly more content and variety and they are absolutely very promising for us viewers, creating spaces of learning and reforming society. At present it is popular at a certain intensity, but it is definitely the next big thing in the entertainment industry.

Casting fresh faces encouraging more youth viewers as well as no biased reviews and reactions since they do not have any star studded, jittery cast. But some series are also following the fashion as in the west i.e. to include a few film stars in a few episodes to make it more interesting, like in Man’s world, Kalki Koechlin and Parineeti Chopra did cameos.

Very relatable content, especially for the youth, and since they form the largest amount of internet consumer and viewership, it automatically is getting more popular day by day. A lot more focus is given on issues trending in today’s world such as gender equality, personal space in marriages, politics in the market, which hooks into the audiences interests and accordingly liked more and appreciated by the viewers.

Concise affair- These series come with less yet interesting episodes, making them an easy, relaxing watch. We could watch it in between breaks, while traveling to offices, etc.

Promoting various brands- since some of these series are made at around 50 lakhs per episode, questions pop that how do they manage such lavish expenditure. The answer my dear friends is brand sponsorships. The online entertainment channels get their funding and in return they advertise their brands and companies in their episodes, for example Ola cabs in ‘Permanent Roommates’.

Initiation: This is the first step to bring in a ruckus to the married life. As per the scholars following two different schools of thoughts i.e. SHIA and SUNNI, preach the rule that the husband has to say talaq once to the present wife or make a public announcement to initiate the divorce process.

Reconciliation: Before the end of the countdown, there is a need for both the partners to readdress the matter during their waiting period. As prescribed the waiting period is of thee menstrual periods for women or three month (idhah), when the couple is suppose to try to reconcile with the help of mediators from each family, until the third and final.

Completion: As the waiting period is over, the final utterance of talaq is made which completes the divorce procedure. The wife becomes non-marham (he cannot remarry her) for her ex-husband by following hijab And that’s how my Basheer, I would never meet your mother again, says the off-burdened Shohar.

In a country like India, which is a home of diverse religions and their practices, it is not easy to violate the rules which are established by one religion, as it seeks to disregard the constititutional rights of respecting each religion and its sentiments.

“INSTANT” TALAQ PROCEDURE WAS MEANT FOR WOMEN

Yes, you read it right. During the reign of the second Caliph Omar, it is accepted that he had sanctioned the rule of uttering triple talaq. But these ‘so called’ spiritual leader s who claim to be the messenger of Allah, have purely adopted the letter of law , and junks its bottom line. Caliph Omar had pronounced the triple talaq as final in a few cases where women wanted to walk out of their failed marriages desperately and their husbands were delaying the divorce by misusing the long-drawn procedure prescribed in the law. So it was for the sake of women that Caliph Omar gave legal sanctity to instant talaq in the 7th century.

But obviously, the heralds of ‘fake God’ have ‘modified’ the rule as a to twist to suit their own anti-women and patriarchal ends.

MUSLIM BOARD VS SAIRA BANO

Bai Tahira, Fuzlunbi, Zohra Khatoon, Shah Bano, Shamim Ara, Iqbal Bano, Khatoon Nisa, Shabana Bano, Shamima Farooqui are some of the names,that had came into the limelight,when these handful of courageous women decided to let their pleads for justice fall into the ears of the court of law,which had turned a blind eye to the rising injustice towards Muslim women in the name of ‘religious practices’. The latest of all is the case of Saira Bano, a name to represent countless Muslim wives who fall prey to the cruelty of their husbands and are suffering from the pang of “talaq,talaq, talaq”, originally meant for the help them and not the other way round. Instead of traditionally invoking judicial mercy of ordering the divorcing husband to pay her maintenance, Saira has boldly challenged the constitutional validity of her husband’s action of kicking her out by using the so-called triple divorce formula “as reported in a national daily.

Saira Bano’s story is gut-wrenching; it highlights the brute maltreatment she had been through at the hands of her own spouse. In her mid-30s, a sociology postgraduate and mother of two, she suffered through the pains of a bad marriage, an abusive husband, forced abortions and physical and mental agony for over a decade. Following to which, last year, her husband had sent a letter to her parents' home where she was staying. Inscribed on that piece of paper were three words: "Talaq, Talaq, Talaq", as she had narrated her misery to a media source. Rather than succumbing to the injuries, Saira has bluntly challenged the reckless act of her husband of whimsically throwing her out of the home, using the unofficial supremacy of exercising the triple talaq ritual.

Sadly, born in a country full of hypocrite advocators of old school where the verdict is on the basis of prescribed protocols by knowledgeable prophets and the God, himself, the justice seems to just fly out of the window.
The All India Muslim Personal Board, known for its insistence on clinging on to some of the most outdated and medieval customs, has acted predictably, by urging the central government not to share its opinion, as requested by the Supreme Court.

Not agreeing to which, the government has sensed the need to consider the situation and take the vital steps for such old-line misinterpreted practice.

PETITION FOR JUSTICE

Such falsified practices and rituals of Triple Talaq, followed by the solution of “HALALA” ( wherein , the divorced women is asked to sleep with someone else , before returning to her old partner) , also the controversial and unjust Rape Law ( where the women , victim has to make the accuse , the person who had raped her , to be present before the court , and if failed it will considered as adultery , on her part) must come to an end as they only create a society breeding misogynist and ruthless crimes.

To let the world be awake and a take a step towards change, several Muslim women from 13 different states had took a step forward to sign the petition to the head of honor and expect a nonpartisan solution. Last year, 70,000 Muslim women signed a petition addressing to the PM, Narendra Modi. They have urged urgent reforms and the criminalization of Polygamy and Triple Talaq. They also seek succession of property to women in pursuance of a 'life of dignity'.

A repercussion of which was, All India Muslim Personal Law Board , who had not adhered to the guidelines of the supreme court to mend it’s thought process , had fielded the women who had signed the petition . Unreluctantly, they had accused Bhartiya Muslim Mahila Andolan activists leading the campaign against the law as RSS agents!

Just like a censor board for films , ignoring the pertaining situation and rather blaming the rights of their own people by selling them off to political pressure , their own righteous belief and hypocrisy , the All India Muslim board has even enraged the men of the country. In a report to Times of India, Farhan Rahman, a research scholar had told “We need to come out and support it because if we don’t do it then the false practices will get the support and lead misrepresentation of our religion”

Phew! At least there still some mindful intellectuals left in the country to raise the voice against such rubber stamped acts.

There is dire need to speak against this ‘un-Quran’ practice which is loosely based on patriarchal rules of the society.

Provoking intolerance among Muslim men as well, it is clear that such unfair practices deserve no space in a sovereign country like India. Thus, Saira Bano’s case is a great opportunity to usher in a much-needed reform. The government and the Supreme Court must weigh in on the side of the Muslim women over the hollow discretion of the Muslim board. Preventing from creating an uproar in the lives of many Muslim families , such practices demand immediate ban , making it ‘un-EASY’ for the megalomaniacs to take the undue advantage of the fuss.

Everyday when I step out of my house to go to work I bow my head before the God I worship, and I’m sure it is the same with most of us. We always pray for ourselves that we may go out and be back home safe, or praying for a promotion or a deal to be signed, or for achieving goals set for the month. How often is it that we pray for those who are around us? We all may have different faiths and religions and we honor the almighty in our own way. Religion is defined as “an order of existence” by the anthropologists. Over 100s of religions are currently practiced throughout the world. Its one element that unites and divides thousands of people at the same time. In today’s time-line when the world peace and humanity is dwindling, measures by various people are being taken to restore world peace, nature, and recreate values to make world a better place. One such religious leader is making an appreciable effort, the highly esteemed Pope Francis of Catholic Church. The Pope had on December 7, 2015 declared year 2016 as the ‘Holy year of Mercy’ along with the Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI. It was also the first time two pontiffs together launched a jubilee year.

Pope Francis together with other religious leaders has launched a video message portal, The Pope Video. It is a global initiative developed by the Pope's Worldwide Prayer Network (Apostleship of Prayer) to assist in the dissemination of the Holy Father’s monthly intentions related to the challenges the humanity faces. Going by the monthly prayer intentions of the Pope its very apparent that his genuine concerns lie not just with uniting the faiths but also raising issues that needs much resolution. There’s diversity in the editorial board as well which constitutes of the leaders Pope is working together with. I would like to highlight each month’s prayer intention one by one up till present:

Inter-religious dialogue (January 2016)

January’s prayer intention began with a harmonious intermingling of men and women from different faiths which may produce the fruits of justice and peace. In the video released, we can see religious leaders from faiths Buddhism, Judaism, Islam and Christianity coming together as ‘children of one God’. He sends out this strong message of “One World Religion” in a minute and a half long video. Pope Francis also states “we are all children of God” irrespective of which religion or faith we belong to, since many feel differently, think differently but the one thing that is certain is being children of God. He highlights the importance of inter-religious dialogue and the beliefs different faiths hold in common, such as the figure of God and love. It is important for people to understand that this dialogue involves more than talking, it involves listening as well. Talk, hear out each other is the message. So with this he sincerely hopes to bring all denominations of faith together on one page.

Care for Creation (February 2016)

Drawing our attention to our mother earth and environment Pope Francis placed the second prayer intention of the year- “That we may take good care of creation- a gift freely given- cultivating and protecting it for future generations.” It is no secret how much we humans have exhausted the natural resources available. Increasing pollution and misuse of non-renewable resources might leave nothing to see and utilize for the younger generations to come. Life is a gift, creation is a gift hence, we should appreciate the gift we have received and look after it.

Families in Difficulty (March 2016)

Month of March was dedicated to all families around the world- “That families in need may receive the necessary support and the children may grow up in healthy and peaceful environment.” Family is a circle of strength, crux of every human’s life, and it need not always be blood. It is the best thing one could ever wish for. Most valued asset of human life. But it is our duty to take care of our family to prevent them from crumbling. Often families break due to financial or ethical problems or problems between the spouses which directly-indirectly affect everyone in the home especially children. They need to be brought up in a happy, healthy environment. This is one of the most alarming rising dispute of today’s generation when most marriages are ending up in divorces, children being stranded at orphanages. They are going to be our tomorrow, shouldn’t we be worried how is it going to turn out?

Small Farmers ( April 2016)

In April, we prayed- “That small farmers may receive a just reward for their precious labor.” We need to take time to show our gratitude to small farmers all over the world because of whom we are surviving. To think that one does not depend on the production of the small farmers is absolutely wrong. If you don’t believe me check your package-food information table where you’ll notice the main ingredient is something that comes from the farm and who runs the farm- farmers. With this prayer intention Pope Francis also draws our attention towards every being who is of some help to us in some way, which we shouldn’t overlook. We should acknowledge them doing their job so that we can eat and live and do our job. Many at times the small farms go out of business, often large agri-businesses acquire the land and create greater potential for ecological damage and health risks. For Pope Francis small farmers are essential to caring for the earth and safeguarding it for future generations Agricultural workers should receive a just wage. As the pope said, “The labor of those who cultivate the earth, generously dedicating time and energy to it, appears as a genuine vocation. It deserves to be recognized and appropriately appreciated, also in concrete economic policies.”

Respect for Women (May 2016)

May is the month honored in the reverence of Mother Mary, so, it was very apt for Pope Francis to assign this month in honor of women- “That in every country of the world, women may be honored and respected and that their essential contribution to society may be highly esteemed. This month we also celebrated Mothers’ day all over the world. In the words of Pope Francis, Mary is “the true and sublime example of woman.” Women have an irreplaceable role, says Pope Francis. He encourages the contribution of women working within the family, areas of preaching faith, schooling, social, cultural and economic structures. Throughout the world the women unfortunately not only are excluded, but under attack. Women are caught in many forms of slavery, of prostitution, of mutilation of the female body, which requires us to set to work to defeat these forms of degradation which reduce it to purely an object to be sold on the various markets. “We have done little for the women,” says the Pope. He asks, is it enough to only recognize their contribution? Therefore, he sends out the message in his May prayer video issuing a global petition that women in all countries would be respected and valued, asking if the mere recognition of their role is enough, or if more can be done.

Human Solidarity (June 2016)

Prayer intention for June is- “That the aged, marginalized, and those who have no one may find- even within the huge cities of the world- opportunities for encounter and solidarity.” Right on point, Pope brings in focus the prejudices and treatment faced by those people whom others think are different, or old, or not like everyone else. We should be more tolerant towards people around us, and not because someone told one to be, but because that is how solidarity will spread around. Solidarity recognizes that every human soul is created by God, thus, all people are equal before God and deserve respect. A contemporary error is disregard for the law of human solidarity and charity, which the Pope hopes to re-cultivate among humans from the example shown in the video. Don’t you like it when you make someone happy, or better, when someone brings a smile on your face with their actions? I bet you do. Come together, care for each other.

It is an innovative attempt to reach out to people in a modern and powerful way. I think his efforts truly make it apt for us to call him “The People’s Pope”. We are looking forward to the next six prayer intentions to be taken up in next six months. He is doing his own bit and setting an amazing example for us to follow upon. Now, it is our turn to do our bit for the world.

The once rugged Aravali range which stands near Vasant Vihar is now a home to one of the world ranking university, my beloved Jawaharlal Nehru University. Covering around a 1000-acres of land the campus houses some of the best and excellent schools and centres of education. It has 14 major Schools and Centers ranging from Languages to Social Sciences to Molecular Medicine to Nano Sciences, with a strength of around 5000 students and Teachers approximately. Several of these Centers have been declared as “Center of Excellence” by UGC. The campus in total has 17 hostel accommodations- 7 all boys, 5 all girls, 4 co-ed, and 1 for married students. Residential accommodations are available also for the Professors and staff.

Students are diverse in JNU, basically a microcosm of the Indian Nation. Students from all over India, from every nook and corner, every society and stratum are drawn here and Foreign countries as well. To make sure that this is maintained, annual admission tests are simultaneously held at 37 centers spread across the country. Also special care is taken to draw students from underprivileged backgrounds by reserving 22.5 percent of the seats. Overseas students form around 10 percent of annual intake. The residencies of students hostels and faculty blocks are interspersed with one another, highlighting the vision of a large Indian family.

JNU provides its students with a huge platform of liberal and democratic student politics. Each and everyone is exposed to it which helps them to explore in the potential politics. The major student political bodies on campus that operate are both left and right oriented. AISA, AISF, SFI, DSF, NSUI, ABVP being the most active ones. Every year a new Student Union body (JNUSU) is elected through the process of voting. The parties campaign in schools and hostels through speeches, fierce poster and cartoons, followed by Presidential Speech debate. Everyone is encouraged to participate in it. The election season and the Presidential Speech debate is a delight to watch which is one of the most interesting affairs on campus. However, only a particular amount of students actively participate in politics. Other students are somewhat more academically inclined and state neutral views on politics. One common mistaken fact about JNU is that, it is often assumed to be a left-oriented campus. For many years now the parties coming into power are left-oriented but that doesn’t mean that all parties do not get equal opportunities. All parties are given fair chances to work and campaign in the campus.

Students in JNU live a very chilled out life. There are other activities as well which form an indispensable part of the students life other than politics. They engage very actively in discussions and debates on issues trending. A huge amount of students support queer identity, spreading more awareness and actively participating in movements. As the campus allows one a liberal space where one can place their opinions, accept, criticize and debate views of each other, one can often find such discussions traveling from classrooms and hostel rooms to dhabas. JNU has a tremendous dhaba culture, which provides tasty delicacies at affordable prices. One can also call it as the cheapest food-joint in Delhi. A few of the popular dhabas are Ganga dhaba, Sabarmati dhaba and Godavari dhaba. Many at times various musical shows, meetings are organized at these dhabas as they are the best places of interactions. The campus also has 24*7 working small food places and canteens around campus and in hostels too. If you ever happen to visit the campus you will also come across Raju da ka canteen, Shiv bhaiya ka canteen which are very popular among the students residing in hostels. The campus hosts other food festivals additionally-International and national both, at dhabas and open air theaters. There are various student forums established on the basis of respective regional areas and states which also organizes various cultural and food festivals. ‘Confluence’ being one of the largest among them which celebrates life and culture of the eight sisters of North-east States.

This is not all, the hostels every year organize Cultural and Hostel nights, sort of a competition among the hostels. The entire program is carried out by students from decorations to arranging food to DJ. This is one time of the year when one can witness students involved in serious discussions deciphering complex topics and theories by daytime and dancing to the tunes of Govinda, bhojpuri songs and Punjabi beats by night. There is this weird function also organized called ‘Chaat Sammelan’. The concept itself is hilarious as are the performances by various students who can make you go laughing-rolling-on-the-floor.

The student-teacher relation is very amiable. Personal interaction of students and teachers equally form a very lively generation and transmission of knowledge as does the classroom and laboratory teaching. The campus is very safe for all students, girls and boys alike. No restrictions or bars or moral policing on dressing up. Recently, the campus had fallen into the prey of a huge row when also some random students were incarcerated owing to “JNU dressing style” which was defined as ‘jhola-beard style’. Firstly, not all students dress up that way and secondly, students in JNU are also aware of latest trends in fashion. But the thing is, this hardly matters to them. All have the freedom to dress as they desire. The campus library which also is a big landmark, being the nine-storied highest building on campus, has 24*7 open reading rooms so as to be convenient for students to work and study at any time of the day or night. There are various clubs run by the students related to cultural performances, sports and other activities. ‘Kallol’ organized by the students of School of Languages, Literature and Cultural Studies is the most popular among them. JNU Mountaineering Club organizes moon-light treks every year to Qutub Minar. They also organize desert treks and mountain treks according to the favourable time of the year.

The campus is also a home to a varied wildlife including peacocks, neelgais, mongooses, porcupines, snakes and squirrels. They are so at home in the campus that you can watch them live around you. Waking up at the call of peacocks is not an uncommon phenomena in the campus. The greenery and quietness of campus is what every ex-jnuite definitely craves.

However, the academic is the most important priority of the students. As much as they like to involve in these programs and movements, learning from them and utilizing it in their academia is the main aim of the students. Focusing and exploring on new ideas is of utmost importance. These students know exactly how to balance fun and studies together.

En masse, living in JNU is no less than an adventure of a lifetime. Here you grow and see things as you have never before, find friendships which might become some of the treasured relationships of your life. You never know you might witness one of the important events to be later discussed in history. Life in JNU is not just a lifestyle, but a way of life.

Soccer is presumptively the most celebrated sport throughout the world, so are the players and their always on headlines-wives and girlfriends(WAGs). Soccer players are known to have been dating hot models and celebrities. In this list prepared for you, we are going to rank out the top ten players and their lady love. We hope your favorite player and their WAGs made it to our list.

Cristiano Ronaldo

A Portuguese professional footballer who plays for Spanish club Real Madrid and the Portugal National team. He is an all time Euro goalscorer. Plays as a Forward and also serves as Captain for Portugal. By the age of 22, Ronaldo had received Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year nominations. He is often compared with Lionel Messi and ranked as the best player in the world.

He had been married to Irina Shayak for 5 years, currently separated. He is rumored to be dating Nikoleta Lozanova from Bulgaria. The news came out in February 2016, Lozanova was named 2006 Playmate of the Year in Bulgaria. The model was also rumored to be involved in Maria Sharapova’s breakup with fellow tennis pro Grigor Dimitrov.

Zlatan Ibrahimovi?

Ibrahimovi? is a Swedish professional footballer who plays as a Striker for and captains the Sweden national team. He is one of ten players to have made 100 or more appearances for the Swedish national team is also the country’s all-time leading goalscorer with 62 goals. He represented Sweden at the 2002 and 2006 FIFA World Cups, as well as the 2004,2008, and 2012 UEFA European Championships. He has been awarded Guldbollen (the Golden Ball), given to the Swedish player of the year, a record ten times, including nine consecutive times from 2007 and 2015.

He got married to his longtime partner Helena Seger with whom he has two sons, Maximilian and Vincent. He currently resides in Paris, although he still has a home in Malmö where he spends his summers.

Dimitri Payet

He is a French international footballer who also plays for English club West Ham United in the Premier League. He primarily plays as an attacking midfielder and is often described as a player who is quick and blessed with terrific technique and dribbling skills.

He is married to Ludivine Payet and has two children, Milan and Noa.

Antoine Griezmann

Griezmann is a French professional footballer who also plays for Spanish club Atlético Madrid mainly as a forward. He began his career at Real Sociedad, making his debut in 2009 and winning Segunda Division in his first season. Across five seasons there, he scored 52 goals in 201 official matches. In 2014, he transferred to Atlético Madrid. He has scored over 75 La Liga goals in his career.

Erika Choperena is Griezmann’s girlfriend aged 24 holds a bachelor degree in education and is a big fashion fan. She has a blog where she daily writes about her looks and outfit choices.

James Milner

James Philip Milner is an English professional footballer who plays as a Winger for Premier Leagueclub Liverpool and the England National team. He has previously played for Leeds United (2002-2004), Swindon Town (2003), Newcastle United (2004-2008), Aston Villa (2005-2006) and Manchester City (2010-2015)

He is currently dating Amy Fletcher. This glamorous girl prefers to stay away from cameras.

Koke

Jorge Resurreccion Merodio, popularly known as Koke, is a Spanish professional footballer, who also plays for Atlético Madrid. In the Spanish National team he plays as a midfielder. He has spent most of his career with Atlético Madrid, since he made his debut in 2009. He has played over 250 official games, won five honors including the 2014 National Championship and the 2012 Europa league.

Beatriz Espejel is his current girlfriend. She was born Beatriz Espejel Jiménez and is an English teacher currently working at Albany School. She has a younger brother named David, who also plays football and of whom she is super supportive. One of the couple’s favorite getaways for the summer is the Spanish island of Ibiza. Espejel is super affectionate with Koke, she often calls him her “prince”.

Laurent Koscielny

He is a French footballer who plays for Arsenaland the France national football team. He serves as captain for Arsenal. He has been described as a clever, agile and ball-playing defender.

He got married to his long time partner, Claire Beaudouin last year in June.

Sergio Ramos

Ramos is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for Real Madrid and the Spain National football team. He serves as Captain for Real Madrid. He is primarily a central defender, although he can also play as a right back, a position he primarily fulfilled earlier in his career.

Ramos entered in a relationship with journalist/presenter Pilar Rubio in September 2012, and this was confirmed by both at the FIFA Ballon d'Or Gala. On November 12 2013, she announced that she was expecting her first child with the footballer and their son Sergio Ramos Rubio was born on 6 May 2014.

Juanfran

Juan Francisco Torres Belén, popularly known as Juanfran, is a Spanish professional footballer, who also plays for Atlético Madrid as a Right back. He starte dout at Real Madrid, later joined CA Osasuna and finally Atlético Madrid in 2011. He won five titles, including the 2014 National Championship. He has been a Spanish International since 2012, has also been part of the squad that won in 2012’s European Championship, and also represented the nation at 2014 World Cup.

Veronica Sierras is the lovely wife of Juanfran, who presently works as an outsourcing technician for the Human Resources at Meta4. She is the mother of couple’s two adorable children, Oliver and Alexia.

Cesc Fabregas

Francesc “Cesc” Fabregas Soler is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a Central midfielder for English club Chelsea and the Spain National team. At 16, he was signed English Premier League side Arsenal in September 2003. He earned a reputation as one of the best players in his position for the club and won the FA cup in 2005. He also won a La Liga title, the Copa Del Rey, the FIFA Club World Cup, the UEFA Super Cup and two Spanish Super Cups. He made his international debut for the Spanish national team in March 2006. He represented his country in the 2006 FIFA World Cup, UEFA Euro 2008, 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup, 2010 FIFA World Cup, UEFA Euro 2012, 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup and the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

Daniella Semaan is the current girlfriend of the soccer player, who is 13 years older than him. She has been in controversy for cheating over her husband and went through a rough divorce. However, Fabregas girlfriend Brags on Twitter about her Catholic believes and that they are strong.

The list seems as alluring as the Euro 2016 title Le Rendez-Vous that will be hosted by France. We are totally excited about the league, are you? We really hope our list matches your list of players are, tell us what you think about it.

Note: This list is based completely on UEFA’s the SOCAR Player Barometer and there is a surprise inclusion in the top five and as such could differ from yours.

Women empowerment is the burning topic of today. People demand equal rights and opportunities for women as they have experienced enough cruelties in this male dominated patriarchal society. Women are inclined to stand at par with men with the literacy and the education rate soaring up considerably. Various heinous crimes against women have raised global concern, but are only men responsible for creating havoc in the lives of womenfolk or there is a great mistake made and being made on the part of women as well, knowingly or unknowingly.

Let’s dig deeper on the life of women in primeval times. Even before the birth of a girl child, she was abused and aborted forcefully because a son was preferred. Fortunately or unfortunately, when she wasn’t killed in her mother’s womb and stepped in the world, she faced the discrimination at her home- getting the leftovers to eat, treated inferior in front of her brother and loaded with work as a maid. Boys were “mother’s love” and no matter what, a mother couldn’t treat a son and a daughter in the same zone. The real atrocities began after her marriage.

At the time of marriage, her mother- in- law used to pressurise the girl’s family for heavy dowry. And when I mention mother- in – law, it is signifying the major role, not the complete role because no doubt, the other members were also included. Woman was just considered an object for the pleasure and desire of sex and begetting children. And the so called ‘mother in law’ pressurised her in everything- a want for dowry, son, get indulged in household chores and finally to accept all orders without uttering a single word. But why ?

Simply because she passed through the same oppressed phase because of the cruelty by her own mother in law. It’s been followed for ages, and now has become a social order.

The past is evident of how whenever a woman has stood up for a mission, it has never fallen flat on the ground. The contribution of women in ‘Chipko movement’ can never be forgotten. But, women have accepted the social oppression, tyranny and despotism the reality of their life. The suffering of one made her hard core and this stone heartedness inflated on her subsequent generations. Deep down, she exclaimed ‘’ when my time comes, I’ll live more peacefully than ever. Let my slave come.”

And then, the continuous cycle of subjugation and injustice became the order of the day. When women herself believed in her inferiority, the man just grew comfortable in dominating. The wrong practices followed by some people have become the trend setter.

Even today, daughters are daddy’s angel and boys are mothers’ life. Though, a lot has changed with the growth of education and the awareness among people, yet somewhere our own thought process and mentality ruins our life. When we demand empowerment, we ask for reservations and incentives to make it easy for us. How ironical, we fight for equal opportunities but then, crave for incentives and a shorter way. I do agree that in this humanity-lost world, women need safety and security but the problem doesn’t end here. We have to boost up our image in our mind and break free from the social oppression we created for ourselves. We live in a world of mutual understanding and need, not one of dominance. Why are men supposed to vacant seats for women of the same age or even younger ? Why the final decision of the family is controlled by a man? I don’t advocate fight and lack of respect for one another, rather I aim to enhance consultation and dialogue instead of permission.

Even a highly skilled woman looks for a husband earning a handsome salary and has a job security so that they can easily enjoy their life till the end. But why only a male member expected to run a family? I know there are certain issues with women unlike men, but marrying on the grounds of income isn’t a rational and apt mentality. Elders say “it is a duty of a man to feed his wife and children.” Here, we don’t show a problem because it is not a cause of worry for us. But why is that so. Aren’t women themselves competent and confident enough to earn their living. If no, then I’d say that women must not at all feel offended if they are not provided with proper education like their male counterparts, as after all we need a support to sustain our living.

In these small and unrealised issues, we ourselves prove that we are indeed inferior. I, being a woman, feel that I have the ability to uphold my career and abide by all the responsibilities of work and family. So, next time before shouting your throat out for equal rights, make sure you bear in mind that you are actually equal in all aspects.

If a woman wants, she can change the world. Think deeper, act diligently and live with dignity.

SHAKTIMAN, the most loved superhero of all Indian kids born in the 90s, and a hit series on the television, Shaktimaan is soon going to hit a comeback this year, as first reported by TOI. It recalls some of the nostalgic moments of childhood for those who were brought up in the 90s watching Shaktimaan on Doordarshan, dreaming of becoming super powerful and genius like him. Creating an imaginary villain to fight with him just like the Indian Superhero and win over the heart of his lady love could be the only dream for Shaktimaan lovers. Even after the show had gone off air, which was a major turn down for many, its memories and the dialogues were still kept alive through funny Facebook shares and Instagram memes till today. Those who have fond memories of watching Indian television's first superhero Shaktimaan, while growing up have a reason to rejoice, as the hit show is slated to make a comeback on the television.

THE PLOT OF THE TELIVISON SERIES: SHAKTIMAAN

For all those being deprived of the fortune to watch the series, the kids of 20th century and for all those who want to go back to their childhood by reliving the story of SHAKTIMAN, here’s the storyline for you.

Like every dramatic action thriller, the story begins with the risings of evil, villainly powers of Kali Yuga, who was born to just bring distortions in mankind and peace. The heroic force opposing him was a mystical sect of saints known as "Suryanshis”, who chose a man to rise up against all odds and defeat the evil prevailing within the society. Yes, this superhero was named as SHAKTIMAAN, who took the pledge to fight against the evils of corruption, societal injustice and other evil conspiracies plotted against the mankind. He was given this title of SHAKTIMAAN by the curious world of today, who had never seen such heroic strengths of any other human being. Only later, it was revealed that the mysterious superhero sought to be the incarnation of SHRI SATHYA, who had formed the Surya sect.

To live with a normalcy and be out of the sight of the main antagonist, Tamraj Kilvish, SHAKTIMAAN disguised himself as a ordinary photographer with a comical geeky name of Pandit Gangadhar Vidyadhar Mayadhar Omkarnath Shastri (too long to remember, but not for those who had loved him wholeheartedly). Just like any other story of a superhero leading a normal life, their exits a woman for whom he had fallen for. Unsurprisingly, she is already in love with the Superhero (who is actually the ‘normal guy ‘), here, Geeta Vishwas, a journalist is the leading lady of the story.

Most importantly, what gives the Indian touch to our hero is the sub-plot behind his creation. Shaktimaan claims to energize his internal spiritual and mystical powers ignited with continuous and typical practice of Hindu philosophical and cultural activities like Yoga Sadhana and Mediation combining the five elements of life namely fire, earth, water, wind and sky, to let the powers be invigorate his body . He advocates the ethnic values taught by Bhagwat Geeta. As cliché as it sounds now, the show still made the kids believe in the true powers of nature and the predictable triumph of the truth over injustice.

GOOD NEWS!

The reboot of the TV series will be casted with the blast from the past, actor Mukesh Khanna, who was the SHAKTIMAAN of previous series as well, shall reappear on your television sets with his power-packed performance and stomach-tickling comedy timing. As reported by INDIA TODAY, the reboot of the show will see the comeback of the 57 year old actor on TV sets.

In his interview with TOI, Mukesh khanna told that he has been working hard to get into the right shape before the show’s shooting commences, adding to which the old-time actor said “We are planning the return of Shaktimaan on television and the discussion is going on with few channels. I can’t commit the date but you will get it soon. I am working on the look and the body for it. I have already reduced 8 Kilos and will be losing another 8kgs.I am not trying to get six pack abs. I want to try and match up the look that I had 15 years back. People relate to me as SHAKTIMAAN and I can’t offer the role to anyone”. Undoubtedly, he is a true superhero, battling with old age and worn out energy, striving hard to cheer up the hearts of the people who have admired him for a long time. This is why, KEHLAAYA WO! : SHAKTIMAAAN! (just like the title song shouted that aloud with a old-fashioned music composition and the sounds of thunder and “ ZOOOP” in the background). Hoping for an awe-struck comeback, decidedly, the shooting of the renowned Indian television series shall commence by this year itself.

With 4 consecutive hits, namely 3IDIOTS( 2009), KAI PO CHE (2013), 2 STATES (2014) and KICK (2015), Chetan Bhagat has won over the hearts of Indian audience along with his readers who had been in love with his writing style since five point someone (2004) to his latest bestseller to Making India Awesome (2015). With all his books being a hit, Chetan Bhagat could be considered as Mika Singh for the writing industry (if that exists). Besides a hold over biggest hits of novels, he is also a noted public intellectual, writing for columns about the youth, career development and current affairs in the leading newspapers of both HINDI and ENGLISH. He is also an international superstar as recognized by THE NEW YORK TIMES, citing Bhagat as “the biggest selling English language novelist in India’s history”, selling over 7 million copies in the city.

Successful screen writing efforts of Chetan Bhagat have always turned out to be a blockbuster hit, snatching away 4 star ratings and the overwhelming love of the movie spectators. He has also won the Filmfare Award for Best Screenplay for the movie Kai Po Che! (Loosely based on his famous novel, THE THREE MISTAKES OF MY LIFE)

Among his other qualifications, Bhagat is known to deliver speeches at programmes organized by corporate, educational institutes, newspapers and media houses like Dainik Bhaskar, The Times of India and at other conferences apart from writing columns for the same.

He was also the judge of the dance reality show named NACH BALIYE, which made him a part of several controversies of being a judge of a dance show despite of being from a literature background and the fiery rivalry with his co-judges. He has been always a flash in the news for his successful endeavors to his cooked-up controversies linked to famous personalities. Yet, he still continues to straddle on the ladder to fame with much ease. And so are his thrivingly scripted movies highlighting subjects of Rom-com, friendship and fictitious situations based on the reality of life.

To offer yet another treat to his lovely audience, Chetan Bhagat is all set to transcend the new-age Bollywood films with his latest movie, HALF GIRLFRIEND.

For those who have not read his book, the story revolves around two characters Madhav and Riya, battling over the issues of difference in culture, status, linguistic struggle and thoughts on love. The story is well-descriptive and offers imaginary based visuals to its readers. Just like every romantic novel, the story is set on the background of boy falling over the girl who starts to help him in coping up with his poor communication skills, but the girl friendzones him considering it just to be a fling and marries someone else. But Half Girlfriend is not just about that, here, our girl, Riya agrees to his proposal but only the half of it. Yes, she agrees to be his “half girlfriend”. Chetan bhagat quoted the storyline as a “unique Indian phenomenon” as the boy may think he is more than friends with the girl, but the girl is still not his girlfriend. Adding to which he said,” As I thought we needed a term like 'Half girlfriend'. Because, in India, that is what most men get” (LOL!).

With a unique twist in the tale, even the star cast is a “never before seen” together, namely Arjun Kapoor and Shradha Kapoor. A production of Balaji and Chetan Bhagat himself, the upcoming movie is directed by the SRK of new-era romantic films, Mohit Suri with the two stars, Arjun Kapoor (who has recently posted a photo of him with a basketball, announcing the commencement of his latest upcoming, on Instagram) and the beautiful, Shradhha Kapoor to play the roles of the two protagonists. The film has just commenced its shooting this week and is expected to be realized on 28th April 2017. Expecting a big from the superhero of Indian writers, the movie seems to be one of the most awaited films of the year.

Hope this so called “Indian phenomenon” is largely accepted by the Indian audience and specifically youngsters, who could be or have gone through the similar dilemma of love and friendship.

SAROJINI NAGAR

The #1 had to be Sarojini Nagar, it deserves it. from being included in the rap of Yo yo Honey Singh to the first name under the shopping list of almost every girl, Sarojini nagar has always been the first love for every Delhite thinking of going for street shopping. From the trendy ruffed jeans to in-fashion plazos, from casual wear kurtas to wedding Sarees and ethnic wears, from tassel bags to leading-edge belts and crockeries, it’s a one –stop destination. Atleast, as a girl, I believe Sarojini shall never disappoint you with humongous choices of clothes to hot-trending accessories. So next time you think of saving your time and find all what you need (at least in apparels) at an unbelievingly affordable price, this could your dreamland.

Location: South-west Delhi

Nearest Metro Station: INA (yellow line)

LAJPAT NAGAR

The rivalry brother of Sarojini Nagar is Lajpat Nagar, offering you a great variety of apparels (both men and women) along with renowned jewelry shops to get the best blings for the wedding season. In considering the weather these days, the market shall leave you spell-bounded to the shape, color and designs of women- stoles offered. You can buy them at just Rs 50-100 and this equates into buying many stoles for each day to wear!

The market is also a shopping-destination for men offering shades for a heroic look (you know, fake Raybans) to swaggy shoes and belts.

Even home decoration goodies like scented plastic flowers to beautifully sculpted idols; you will get it all, in the nearby areas of the main market. Along with the vibrant choice of outfits ranging from party wears to daily rugs, Lajpat Nagar is famously known for the right- sense-hitting street food as well.

Location: South-west Delhi

Nearest Metro Station: Lajpat Nagar (Purple line)

KAMLA NAGAR

This market is typically for the college-going students who want to match up with fashion even when they are struggling to cope up with their own lectures. Located near famous college campuses, the market seems to resort to the dire needs of the students by offering them a large variety of “super –in” apparels with an acceptable quality over a bonus of affordable prices.

From swanky mobile phone covers to “Dope” caps and the most-wanted crop-tops to the sophisticated jhumkas, the market fulfills the needs of all. Even if you don’t feel like shopping, you may visit the cafes nearby that provide you with quality food at student-pocket-friendly prices.

Location: North Delhi (specifically, North Campus

Nearest Metro Station: Vishwa Vidayala, Yellow line

JANPATH

Janpath or the alternate name is People’s path; the market is NOT- just about apparels and accessories. It offers a wide variety of home furniture to decorative paintings. It is also one of the famous tourist destinations for offering typical Indian stuff like carpets, silver jewelry, leather shoes ( jutis , Mojris , Kohlapuris) and sculptures of Indian Gods. If talking about apparels, you shall see piles of clothes on the streets with vibrant colors and sizes for all kinds, and ‘COOL’ T-shirts speaking about TYPICAL DELHI PEOPLE. Located in the heart of the city, it is a major crowd-attracter, bursting with many kinds of people, especially on weekends. Thus, choosing a week-day for Janpath shall sound more rational.

Location: Near Connaught place

PALIKA BAZAAR

The word ‘Bazaar’ itself describes a market offering a large variety of lucrative shopping items with the much needed hodge-podge of people. With being ‘world widely’ known ( just like Indians say “world-famous”),the market does not stops at just apparels but even electronics like mobile phones, music systems, bluetooth-speakers, hair-straighteners, study lamps and whatnot. You may even find CD’s and DVD’s of latest Bollywood movies at shockingly low price. If you were longing to have a body –tattoo, the services of the same are already present. Not just that, it’s one of the first underground AC market located at the centre of Cannought Place. In this dreadful, unbearable heat, one may choose a breezing underground market over an open-street. Palika bazaar could be like a Genie in a bottle for all those looking out for gadgets to apparels at the lowest of its costs.

Location: Connaught Place (adjacent to Janpath)

Nearest Metro Station: Rajeev Chowk (yellow line)

MAJNU KA TILA (MINI TIBET)

For all the bikers who are in love with leather-jackets, this place shall not disappoint you, by offering good quality jackets within affordable limits. For girls, there is much more to buy apart from apparels, like junk jewelry to in-fashion boots and sandals. The market is also known as Tibetan colony or mini-Tibet due to the dominant number of Tibetan refugees as local residents. Apart from being a bliss for fashionistas, the place offers quality Tibetan cuisine in fine dining restaurants and funky cafes to awaken your taste-buds with the homely- delicacies of Tibet.

Also, the market is situated near a magnificent Gurdwara, on the banks of the river Yamuna. Legend claim that a Muslim hermit who ferried people across the river was blessed by Guru Nanak Dev for his selfless devotion and this sanctuary immortalizes his memory. Apart from an interesting history, the Gurdwara never fails to fulfill your cravings for a tasty langar (especially, the halwa). If you are looking forward to a unique-experience along with good street-shopping, Majnu ka Tila is the right choice.

Location: New Aruna Nagar Colony (alternative name for Maju ka Tila), North Delhi.

Nearest Metro Station: Vidhan Sabha (yellow line)

KAROL BAGH

This market can be also known as the godfather of all the street-markets in Delhi. Being one of the oldest street-market (dominantly), Karol Bagh is also a growing market for business and other commercial activities. Karol Bagh is quite a huge market and thus, one cannot definitely roam around the entire market in one visit. The Karol Bagh “industry” is separated into different roads that house own market wherein each road market focuses primarily on offering a specific product or products. For example, ‘Silver Street’ is a jewelry lane that only offers Silver and Silver Jewellery along with partial gemstones and diamond. The Goldsmiths and Craftsmen here are known as very well-known in same field throughout country. Following to which, a ‘Gadget street’ offering various electronics at slashed prices. CAUTION: Don’t be fainted upon hearing an unbelievingly low price of Skull-candy Headphones (which will obviously not be original). Karol Bagh is one of the biggest outlets for footwear at affordable prices for both men and women. Also, imported products like chocolates, candies, shampoos, deodorants and other daily used items are available at a comparatively low cost.

Location: Central Delhi

Nearest Metro Station: Karol Bagh (blue line)

Thus, step into any of these markets and you shall not go empty handed along with an experience to be remembered for quite long. The markets shall always leave a significant mark over your thoughts on Delhi, its people, its colors’ and its over-indulging love for everything.

Summers are the perfect time to plan vacations and go out for adventures as a break from monotonous boring routine. Stop complaining about sweltering heat and plan for trips to the best available spots.

Here are the names of few places which offer best adventure sports in and around Delhi.

FLYBOY AIR SAFARI, GURGAON

Flyboy air safari offers the best 20 minutes ride where you can experience the warmth of the limitless sky and fulfil the most cherished dream of flying like bird under expert guidance.

Indian mountaineering foundation is located in one of the busiest and beautiful place of Delhi University’s south campus. The IMF headquarter complex was inaugurated on 24 December, 1980 by then Prime Minister Smt. Indira Gandhi.

F9- GO- CARTING, GURGAON

A Go kart is a small four wheeler cart designed specifically to be raced in designated tracks. F9 is famous for its technologically efficient and safe manufactured cars.

Get the wild and awesome experience of carting like never before in vehicles of your choice.

Location: Sector 17-18, Link Road( near IFFCO chowk), Gurgaon

Rate: INR 250 for 7 laps

INR 350 for 10 laps

INR 500 for 16 laps

AWARA ADVENTURE FARM, SOHNA

Awara adventure farm has been designed for adventure sports far away from the hassle of the city life. It provides various activities like flying fox, obstacle course, suspension bridge, balance walk, zig zack, swimming etc.

Shikhar Adventure Park is an ideal place for organising educational trips and corporate get together. It conducts various activities and can be a weekend planning spot to get a break from the daily routine and try something new.

Location: Wazirpur Village, sector 92, Gurgaon

DAMDAMA LAKE RESORT, SOHNA, GURGAON ROAD

Damdama lake is one of the biggest lake in Haryana. One can have a great day by its side enjoying boating and other adventure sports which include artificial rock climbing, zip lining, target jumping, Valley crossing and jumaring, tire crossing, air walking, Burma bridge, suspension bridge and commando net.

This place has a charm of its own and has a characteristic of a fun weekend trip.

Location: on the banks of Damdama Lake, Sohna , Gurgaon.

CAMP WILD, DHAUJ, GAZIABAD

Camp Dhauj is an adventure camp located near Village Dhauj , Camp Dhauj is situated in lap of aravali hills near Manger village in Faridabad District Haryana. Aravali hills have hard granite rocks , perfect for rock climbing , rappelling activities. Camp Dhauj is also good for bird watching, 67 bird species have been spotted near Dhauj. It is highly praise worthy for natural rock climbing, Rappelling and river crossing .

AMUSEMENT PARKS

There are quite a few amusement water parks with rides that blow your mind and refreshes you from inside out. Fun n food village and WOW( world of wonders )are the few notable ones that gives an amazing experience.

Location:

WOW: Noida

Fun n food village: Gurgaon

So this summer don’t just sit home in this unbearable heat. It might help you to overcome your fear or in certain cases enhance your risk taking ability. Let the adventure make you lively and provide you with the zeal and enthusiasm like never before.

According to latest report from Agence France-Presse (AFP) UEFA will on Tuesday announce a first verdict against Russia for the football unrest caused by their fans at Euro 2016 while England questioned security for high-risk matches this week. Euro 2016 is being held under an umbrella of very high security since Europe has suffered from acts of terrorism since 2015. Already a French court has sentenced 10 men to a year. Six Britons, three French and one Austrian were found guilty of violence around the England-Russia match in Marseille on Saturday. 2015 and 2016 have been very traumatic year for France and there is fear of another terror strike during the month-long European Championship finals expected to draw two million visitors to France.

There has been serious allegation and accusations leveled against Russian fans and UEFA charged the Russian Football Union over the disturbances. During the match with England racist chanting and fireworks were thrown at the Marseille stadium which could have caused serious injuries to spectators and among them were women and children. Russia could possibly face a hefty fine, reprimanded or have points deducted from their qualifying campaign for the Euro 2020 tournament because of the acts of violence and racist chants uttered by their fans. Any repeat of disturbance has the possibility of Russia and England being disqualified from Euro 2016.

However England Football Federation (FA) took a strong exception to the charges which have been leveled and in a letter to UEFA, protested in a letter to UEFA that a distinction should be made between the actions of Russian football supporters who according to the FA were responsible for violence and only Russia have be charged over their conduct. During the match that was held in Stade Velodrome Marseille, Russian fans crossed a barrier to cause bodily harm to English supporters, including women and children. FA chairman Greg Dyke raised "serious concerns" about security when England and Russia will play their next matches. In a letter to UEFA Mr. Dyke said "We have serious concerns around the security arrangements for the city (Lille) in the next few days."

So long has it been that India came together as a union of different territories since 1949. Manipur is one such territory which joined India at that time. On literal translation it is “Land of Jewels” which was a former Asiatic Kingdom with a record of over 3000 years. Nestled in northeast region of country at the border with Myanmar, the state is home to 2.8 million people belonging to myriad ethnic groups and communities.

Unfortunately, in the recent times, it has also been one of the most conflicted of Indian states. In August 2015, the legislative assembly of Manipur passed three bills - (a) Protection of Manipur peoples Bill 2015, (b) Manipur Land Revenue and Land Reforms (Seventh Amendment) Bill 2015, and (c) Manipur Shops and Establishment (Second amendment) Bill 2015, which has led to lots of riots, controversies and protests in the state, as well as recently, at the Capital city, in the first week of June outside Manipur Bhawan where a lot of students protesters where lathi-charged and 25 persons including policemen got serious injuries.

As per the news, the on-going protest is about these three Anti-tribal bills against the indigenous people of Manipur. But the question that is bothering the rest of India is, what is the real issue behind the protests, why are the tribal protesting and the bills termed Anti-Tribal if the bills are passed to save the indigenous rights of the Manipur people?

Before the merger of Manipur to India, the entry into Manipur was regulated by an imposition of a permit system. That permit system was abolished w.e.f. 18 November 1950 by a notification issued by the then Chief Minister of the State, Himmat Singh . Since then, there is no restriction in the entry to the state of Manipur by other citizens of India. 1951 saw a lot of influx of people into the state including other tribes that belong to Manipur, refugees from Myanmar, Bangladesh and Nepal, and other outsiders from other Indian states. According to the census of 2011 of Manipur, the stats showed a 17 lakh of people are indigenous people and 10 lakh are outsiders, out of which 20 lakh are of Manipuri origin and the rest 7 lakh of Non-Manipuri origin.

Fears and Apprehensions

Since the increase of non- Manipuri people at such a drastic rate, as a report suggested, the influx of tourists has risen exponentially thus creating a demographic imbalance in the region. If this was not enough, illegal immigration from Bangladesh, Nepal and Myanmar has also contributed to the crisis. This has created fear among the locals over employment and availability of resources, at a time where there already exists stiff competition between the locals and outsiders over jobs. The Manipuri people are concerned with the saving of rights and land of the indigenous people thereby placing a demand to re-establish the Inner Line Permit system (ILP). A Joint Committee for Inner Line Permit system (JCILPS) has also been formed.

Introduction and passing of bills

There were three bills passed owing to the fears of threat on the Land rights of the Manipuri people by the Non- Manipuri’s. According to the bill, (a) Protection of Manipur peoples Bill 2015, it will list all the Non-Manipuri’s and enforce a restriction on the entry of the Indian Citizens in the state. (b) Manipur Land Revenue and Land Reforms (Seventh Amendment) Bill 2015, won’t permit the outsiders to purchase or own lands that belong to the tribal people of the state. (c)Manipur Shops and Establishment (Second amendment) Bill 2015, every employer will register all employees under him/her and issue a renewable identity card to them.

Repercussions of the Bills

The immediate effect of the bills were seen last year when the tribal groups led an agitation against the bills which resulted in few unidentified people torching up an MP’s house along with other 6 MLA’s houses at Churachandpur, resulting in killing of 9 tribals and prompting an immediate imposition of curfew in the town. The main reasons of agitations were said to be : (i) The acknowledgment of “Manipur people” as an according to the “National Register of Citizens, 1951, Census Report 1951 and Village Directory of 1951 and their descendants who have contributed collective social, cultural and economic life of Manipur”, (ii) No hill districts organization were consulted in the drafting of the bills, (iii) True motives behind ILP. The tribal people claimed that the bills impinge upon their rights and hence should be withdrawn.

The Real Issue

Although the bill was passed to save the rights of indigenous people, the fact that the tribal are still protesting is confusing. The news have surfaced that, the three bills passed were all by the Ministers who belong to Meitei tribe which is not included under the Scheduled Tribes of India. The Meitei community dominates the valley districts whereas the other tribes are residing on the hill districts. Hence, the Land Reforms Bill is perceived by many among the tribes Kuki and Naga communities, as attempts by the Meitei community to gain access to Scheduled hill districts. They argue that outsiders are never a real threat since they can neither own land in the valley areas, nor are they competitors for government jobs. Under Section 158 of the Manipur Land Revenue & Land Reform Act 1960, land belonging to a Scheduled Tribe in the valley areas cannot be sold to a non-Scheduled Tribe person without the prior consent of the Deputy Commissioner concerned. Therefore, if the bill is enacted into law, a person needs to have been enumerated in all three registers — the National Register of Citizens, 1951, the Census Report 1951 and the Village Directory of 1951 — to be considered as belonging to the State. Conversely, being registered in just one or two registers/directories means he or she has not met the criteria. Hence if the bill becomes a law and is implemented strictly, many people in the hill areas face the prospect of being excluded. In 1951, many of the remote hill areas were cut off, without proper communication and transportation systems which still is the case for some far flung areas. Since Manipur attained Statehood status only in 1972, there is a possibility that many of the local people may be listed as outsiders because of their inability to provide the required documents. If such a situation arises, who should be blamed — the people or the government?

Thereupon the protests were led by the Manipur Tribals Forum Delhi (MTFD) on June 8, 2016 pleading the Center to not enforce these bills into laws, since the State government isn’t responding to their pleas. At present, the bills still stand rejected by the Center. The student protests continues with a hope that the Center will help them from not being further deprecated.

For decades the state governments have in the eight states of North-East(NE) been ruled by Congress and other State parties. The turnout from this year’s i.e. 2016 state elections in Assam has undoubtedly stirred up things in the NE as the BJP won with high majority votes. It contested for the first time in the Bodoland Territorial Council Elections and even won a seat. BJP led in 69 assembly constituencies in the Lok Sabha elections 2016 by winning 7 Lok Sabha seats in Assam. BJP and its allies Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) won a combined 86 seats in the 126-member Assam assembly.

Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal came in legislature who won against Congress veteran Tarun Gogoi, who accepted his party’s defeat and affirms to play a constrictive opposition in the Assembly. Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself showed his gratitude and happiness towards the people of Assam and even commented that this win of BJP was “historic by all standards”.

This victory is indeed “historic”. An important accomplishment to be noticed, is that, out of eight states in NE- BJP has strong hold in Assam and Arunanchal Pradesh of, as well as forming alliances with Nagaland People’s Front(NPF) in Nagaland and Sikkim Democratic Front(SDF) in Sikkim, which puts the larger BJP family -the NDA- holding the reins in four of the eight states of the region at present.

So does that mean that NE-doors have been opened up for NDA?

Here’s what we know:

Reasons for BJP’s victorious win-win in Assam

Brilliant Strategy placed by the BJP as it let the party choose it leaders from other alliance parties without quibbling about ideologies. The CM himself has been once anointed as “jatiyo nayak” (National hero) after his PIL forced the quashing of the Illegal Migrants( Determination By Tribunals) Act of 1983. The party also welcomed with open arms Himanta Biswa Sarma, one­time Gogoi lieutenant who quit the Congress in frustration over the rise of Gogoi’s son in the party.

The BJP repackaged its core Hindutva agenda in the Assamese context till it became an unbending stance on illegal immigration from Bangladesh.

Fast-pace development plans- such as, Initiation for all round development with 24×7 power & water supply, ensuring 100 percent irrigation coverage of arable lands, offering employment to 25 lakh youths and withdrawal of oral interviews for 3rd & 4th category government jobs in the State, etc.

Here’s what we need to know:

Perceptions

Out of the eight states of NE, Mizoram, Meghalaya and Nagaland are Christian majority states. Assam, though a Hindu-majority state, has a large presence of Muslims, mostly of Bangladeshi origin, and Tripura is dominated by Bengali Hindus who migrated to that state during the 1947 partition. Buddhists, practitioners of an animistic faith called Donyi- Polo and Hindus make for the majority of the population of Arunachal Pradesh while the majority of Manipur’s population is made of Meiteis who are mostly Vaishnavites with Christian tribals and a small section of Pangals (who are Muslims) making up the rest. The overwhelming majority of the people of Sikkim are Hindus and Buddhists. The NE, thus, is an eclectic mix of various tribes and peoples practising different religions.

Now that BJP is in alliance with NPF and SDF it busts the myth that BJP’s appeal is limited to only Hindus, and that too the caste Hindus. If that were the case, Nagaland’s Christians would not have brooked their ruling party aligning itself with BJP. With BJP training its guns for Manipur elections as well one expects since Meities are staunch Hindus therefore will now be inclined towards the BJP, the surprise is that the BJP is also working among the Christians who are mostly Nagas, in the state. Strangely enough the cow slaughter ban, the move against conversions by the Church, which is championed by the RSS and the extended Sangh Parivar does not seem to have touched Nagas here. It is also trying to get a hold in Meghalaya, another Christian state, and getting a good response. Meghalaya elections are in 2018, and the BJP has time to expand its network. The thriving Marwari community, who control most of the business across the NE are staunch BJP supporters. But the problem isn’t religion across these areas, it is the land. People are very protective of their lands hence there are laws in some states for non-tribals from preventing them to purchase tribal lands. In fact there are taxes imposed on immigrants for their stay in the state.

The development that the BJP party is trying to bring about in the NE region is greatly being supported, as people want change in their region, economically as well as politically. Also because these attempts may actually connect the “mainland” (as many call it) India to the North-East India, which may result in the end of various disputes in the region. This region has always felt neglected and now there is an opportunity where these people might get normal recognition as Indians as the rest of India. The central governments hardly ever paid attention to these regions or the did anything to resolve insurgencies in states like, Manipur, Nagaland, etc. Then most of these states are the border to many countries which results to infiltration of migrants which hampers the economy the surrounding the aura of NE.

Although the scenery is now changing, the issues are still delicate in the NE. They want development but without any encroachment on their 'tribalism'. They are territorial people given to the fact that they have lived on their own sustaining themselves from the environment, food, vegetation, etc., that is available here. The people here are highly tourist friendly, also the beauty of landscape and exotic vegetation makes it a highly desired adventure destination, which could be used as an asset in increasing national economy at large.

Now to answer my question, is it the rise of the Lotus or just a normal change in NE politics, I would have to say, I agree with both. It is indeed an opportunity for the BJP to make their roots stronger and hold a firm grip in these regions, but in that effort the face of NE might completely change in lieu with the development plans for the region, and it is also a change in the politics, since now the two huge national political parties(INC and BJP) are contesting in these areas. Also the competition and party performance has a chance of improvement, or else, earlier it only used to be Congress and any other state party. What we can only hope for is, this blooming of Lotus in Assam advances the state performance, simultaneously, also contributing in further advancements of other NE states.

It is 2016; A time when the United States of America is back with its Presidential elections. The incumbent president, Democrat Barack Obama, is ineligible to be elected to a third term due to term limits established by the Twenty-second Amendment to the United States Constitution. There are numerous potential candidates in the democratic and republican party; the two main contesting parties of USA. As Barack Obama has completed with the set tenure, the winner of this election will become the 45th President of the United States.

The election of President and Vice President of the United States is an indirect election in which citizens of the United States who are registered to vote in one of the fifty states or Washington, D.C. cast ballots for a set of members of the U.S. Electoral College, known as electors. These electors then in turn cast direct votes, known as electoral votes, for President and Vice President of the United States. The candidate becomes the PRESIDENT if he attains an absolute majority, same is the case with the Vice President.. If no candidate receives an absolute majority for President, the House of Representatives chooses the President; if no one receives a majority for Vice President, then the Senate chooses the Vice President. The Electoral College and its procedure is established in the U.S. Constitution by Article II, Section 1, Clauses 2 and 4; and the Twelfth Amendment (which replaced Clause 3 after it was ratified in 1804).

The upcoming elections have become the major point of discussions in USA; Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders being the major opponents.

The campaigns:

The campaigning for election has been going on from around one year. Clinton held her first major campaign rally June 13, 2015, at Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Park on the southern tip of New York City’s Roosevelt Island.

Clinton addressed income inequality in the United States, paid family leave, equal pay for women, college affordability, and incentives for companies that provide profit sharing to employees in her speech winning the hearts of millions of people and giving the policies she will work on. She did not address free trade agreements during the kickoff speech, but made statements the next day suggesting that the current negotiations should be abandoned unless improved. The campaign said more than 5,500 people were in attendance, but as per general estimate of the media the number of people present were less than said.

Clinton, whose first quest for the Democratic nomination ended in a concession speech almost exactly eight years ago to the day, now becomes the first woman ever to win the nomination of a major political party in the United States

Though there seems more hope for Clinton, but in this bright lights of the political revolution, Bernie Sanders does not sound like a candidate who is about to give up. “Here we are in mid-June, and we’re still standing!” he said on Thursday to a crowd at a stadium in Washington, D.C., where he will compete at the bitter end of a long Democratic primary, delegate counts damned.
How and when Sanders and Clinton peaceably wind down the primary campaign over the next few days and weeks will be crucial for unifying the Democratic Party. Barack Obama said that Clinton is one of the most qualified and apt person to win over this reputed post. He has shown full confidence over him. She has got the courage, the compassion and the heart to get the job done.

Bernie Sanders has attracted a multitude of younger and independent voters that Clinton and the Democratic Party desperately hope to adopt. He has gained the support of the working young generation who is responding to his ideas and principles.

“Bernie’s going to be very good for the party,” said Sen. Harry Reid, who has been in discussions with Sanders. He, recently, met Barack Obama and influenced with his ideals Mr. Obama thanked him for shining the spotlight on the issues like economic inequality, the outsize influence of money in our politics and bringing young people in the process.

So far, much of the outreach has come from Clinton’s camp. It was Clinton who phoned Sanders last Tuesday after his crushing loss in California. So far, much of the outreach has come from Clinton’s camp. It was Clinton who phoned Sanders last Tuesday after his crushing loss in California, reversing the usual custom of the loser calling the victor.

Bernie often attracts large multitude of crowd in his public speech. His cover up for young generation will definitely act in his favour. After the Orlando terrorist attack, Bernie has been more active in campaigning. This attack paved a way for the political parties to come in the eyes of common people. Parties used the incident to get a new issue to work on –the safety of the people. Needless to say, people are more concerned about their safety and protection than other social and economical amenties.

BUSY ELECTIONS

The US elections will be scheduled on 8 as like always presidential election is to be conducted on a Tuesday in the month of November because of the factors involved (weather, harvests and worship). When voters used to travel to the polls by horse, Tuesday was an ideal day because it allowed people to worship on Sunday, ride to their county seat on Monday, and vote on Tuesday–all before market day, Wednesday. The month of November also fits nicely between harvest time and harsh winter weather, which could be especially bad to people travelling by horse and buggy. What happens is quite uncertain, but the election campaigning is on full swing. Let us wait for what more surprises are in store for the world and hope for the best for the super force of the world.

Mass shooting at a gay nightclub PULSE at Orlando, Florida has left everyone speechless. This is one of the worst massive shooting in American History where 50 people were killed and 53 people injured by a single gunman.

On Sunday morning, June 12, when people of Florida were still trying to understand the murder of The Voice star, Christina Grimmie on Saturday night, at the Plaza, Orlando, Florida, came the news of this massive shootout at a gay nightclub which has raised fear in the minds and hearts of the LGBTQ community as well as among the people of Florida.

It is still not clear what made Omar Mateen to allegedly walk into the club with an assault rifle and kill 50 people. But according to the reports, Mateen’s father said that he might know what might have triggered the killing. He told NBC news, that Mateen had been enraged by the sight of two men kissing each other months earlier, and said that might be related to the massacre. While the authorities claim Mateen called the police before the attack and pledged allegiance to the Islamic State. Questions have been rising whether this mass shooting was an act of homophobia Or an act of terrorism?

Even with many indicators it is yet not clear, we cannot label the act, since according to sources, Mateen was reportedly regular at the gay nightspot and used gay dating apps. A few of the clubgoers have reported to seeing him often at the club. A few others have claimed him to have been using multiple gay apps, including Grindr, with mutual acquaintances “to hook”. If it really is so, then his going and killing people 50 people at a gay club doesn’t explain. Was it really the two men kissing he had seen trigger such violence? Isn’t such a scene common at a gay club? If he was really homophobic why would he visit gay clubs often.

Indeed, even if the motive hasn't been established, the attacks are likely to have the effect of turning gay clubs into targets, and leaving some in the LGBTQ community afraid to go to them. The Islamic State, to which Mateen allegedly pledged allegiance before carrying out the attack, betrays horrific intolerance towards people from the LGBTQ community in Muslim societies around the world.

But yet again, the thing is Mateen himself didn’t grow up in a Muslim society. He was born in New York and grew up in an environment where he surely must have witnessed the evolution of LGBTQ rights movement over the last few decades. James Comey, FBI Chief, said, Mateen had been “radicalised” while consuming online propaganda and that he had claimed allegiance to Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in a series of calls during the attack. Although yet again, US authorities said they had found no direct links between Islamic State and Mateen, the US-born son of Afghan immigrants.

So what really is it? Just because Mateen pledged to Islam before killing, is it right to link Islam and terrorism and demonise Muslims, or call it a homophobic act. Whatever this is, one thing is very clear, as President Obama also said, this is an act of hate. This is not just about the 50 people killed in Orlando, it is about every queer person who is endangered not only by gunmen, but by homophobic religious leaders, tweeting politicians, violent family members, coworkers, classmates, neighbours, creators of media and more. Today when lots of Indian politicians take to twitter to sympathize with the massacre, they forget that with India, the fear among LGBTQ community is not from outside but in-built. Gay sex is still illegal. Section 377, a colonial law that criminalises “unnatural sex”, remains on the books in India.

Once again religion and violence are brought on the same platform. Whatsoever may have instigated Mateen to such a horrifying shootout, this attack will be the deadliest mass shooting by a single gunman and the deadliest terrorist attack on U.S. soil since the 9/11 attacks.

India is a land of engineers and one cannot simply deny that upon seeing the current scenario. One of the hilarious scenes from a famous Hindi movie, 3 Idiots had just made it to the point, where the father of a ‘just arrived’ son uttered, “mera beta Engineer banega” (My child will become an Engineer). The words felt like a thunderclap to the boy who didn’t even know in what language was the man in front of him, is speaking. Fun-fact : With a factory output of 1.5 million engineering graduates passing out every year (which also runs the risk of not getting a job at all for almost 40% of them) India holds about 2000 Engineering colleges , with 700 colleges alone in Andhra Pradesh itself.( That’s phenomenal!)

The second “acceptable” and “dignified” profession is to become a Doctor. India CAN produce a force of 50 thousand doctors every year, with better regulation of medical education. Undeterred by which, India accounts for about 10 lakh doctors and other medically engaged professionals in the year 2014. Yet, the government has clearly stated the shortage in terms of “quality of medical facilities”.

As reported, there is only one doctor for every 1700 people in the country. Maybe that is reason why, Indian parents consider it to be their societal duty to give the country, good numbers of doctors at the cost of their own child’s dreams.

A reality check: Out of those million of students, nearly 20- 30% are exposed to the risk of not getting a job at all. Whereas ,the large percentage of the ‘fortunate’ ones who do end up getting a job after an engineering degree take up jobs which are well below their technical qualifications, since the supply far outnumbers the demand. They do not get jobs for which they are qualified or ‘suitable’ jobs, which makes the matter even worse. Also, the staggering growth of IT industry in India has slowed down to a 10.2% growth rate at present. The demand for qualified professionals has also been understandably gone down too.

Such critical situation only calls for a better investment in the field of IT and Engineering sector or opting for a more rational and easier-to-do solution, GET A LIFE BEYOND ENGINEERING!

With the growing popularity of up-coming business ideas and startups offering interesting and stable opportunities , one must not just confined his/her potential to the professions which gives them ‘respect’ in the society. Even, a corrupt politician or a money-eating police man earns the so called ‘respect’ (at least on their face), but that does not imply for each one of us should become a politician or a police man. Another dialogue from the same movie, i.e., 3 IDIOT, says, “kaamyab mat bano, kabil bano”( there is no need to strike hard for success, rather focus on being capable in what you do). Rather than taking into consideration of other’s opinion including your own parents, one should try to achieve what they actually are actually passionate for.

So, here’s a list of some of unconventional job opportunities in India that also offer good career prospects. Many of them could even pay you higher than salary of a doctor or an average engineer.

Chocolatier

Love chocolates? If yes, (with a witty smile and an instant nod) then you are born for this job. A Chocolatier is an expert who uses his/her wide knowledge of flavor, texture, history and other aspects of chocolates to create delicious and mouth-watering confectioneries, deserts, cakes, candies and sweets out of chocolate and other related products. Chocolatier can become an entrepreneur, by tying up with corporate houses, florists, bakeries, and gift shops to market their products.

Some of the institutes in India offering the same are:

Chocolate Academy, Mumbai

Barry Callebaut India Private Limited, Mumbai

Craft and Social Development Organization, New Delhi

Swisswrap Chocolate Academy, Mumbai

MAPP – Magnificence Academy of Packaging Professionals, New Delhi

SOMMELIER/WINE TASTER

Gulping down bottles of wine just for free. Sounds interesting?

Here’s another upcoming profession to rightly serve your taste buds, Sommelier or wine taster. A Sommelier is the one, who can help in understanding the different types of wine and help pair wines with specific foods. Wine tasters also help choose wines for various restaurants that would go well with their menu. Another interesting option is to organize wine tasting tours in vineyards in India. Wine experts can also write articles on wines for lifestyle magazines. Also, there is a Sommelier championship held in India to provide a platform to the budding professionals in the field of wine tasting.

Some of the institutes offering this course are:

Wine Academy of India ( WAI), Chennai

Register to WSET course

Vinecrest India, Delhi

Institute of Wine and Beverage studies

KBR School of wine, Mumbai

PET GROOMER/ GROOMING

Are you an animal lover? If yes, then say yes to this alternate career option of pet grooming. If have you always earned success in taking good care of the pets, whether or not they belong to you, you may turn out to be the best for your client’s pet as well. As the name suggested, a pet groomer is expected to ensure the hygiene and adequate cleanliness of the pets, ensuring that any kind of wound or disease which the pet may be exposed to is healed along with enhancing better relationships between the pet and the owner as well .Regular grooming is considered essential to ensure improved life span and heath of the pets, and this is the reason this career option is growing popularly, specifically to fulfill needs of upper-middle class and high-class families who wish to provide all comforts of life to their darling pets.

Some of the companies which also offer this course for learning are:

Scoopy Scrub,Delhi

Fuzzy Wuzzy Professional Pet Grooming School, Bangalore

ETHICAL HACKER

Are you into the world of computer and its fascinating codes?

Hacking down your friend’s social network profile is a mere source of ‘fun’ for you? Then this could be your professional goal. An Ethical Hacker is a certified hacker is a qualification obtained by assessing the security of computer systems, using penetration testing techniques. Many big companies and government agencies look for ethical hackers for various security purposes. An ethical hacker must have a good knowledge of coding in different programming languages. The average salary ranges between Rs.2-5 lakhs for a fresher, and after an experience of five to six years, you can easily command a salary of Rs. 10-12 lakhs annually, depending upon your skills! (Still thinking to apply for IIM?)

Some of the courses where one can apply are:

Indian School of Ethical Hacking ( ISOEH), Kolkata

Institute of Information Security, Mumbai, Pune,Delhi, Chandigarh

Even short courses are offered by many IT companies like Arizona Infotech ( Pune)

DANCE THEREPIST

Do you have happy feet at dancing? The energy and the magic created with the snappy dance steps over the groovy music can even heal depression or any kind of stress, a person maybe undergoing. That’s what this profession is based upon, ‘dance away with worries’. A
Dance therapist uses the psychotherapeutic body movement and dance to support intellectual and emotional functions of the body. Rather than teaching dance, therapists try to assess the individual's needs and issues. Then they initiate and help develop movement patterns, taking off from the physical-emotional-intellectual level of their clients. People with background in dance and psychology can opt for this exciting career option.

Organizations such as the Creative Movement Therapy Association of India is one of the pioneer organizations in the country that offers sessions in dance and movement therapy and have been hugely successful in helping people deal with stress and anxiety better.

PERSONAL SHOPPERS

Do you believe in your strengths of shopping right? If yes, then you should imagine a scenario where you would be paid for it! There are often certain circumstances where one cannot find adequate time to devote for shopping, like organizing wedding can itself be a burden which can be topped with an additional headache for shopping, this when the ‘personal shopper’ pops up into the scene. They help you decide you look for an occasion, keeping in mind your style and help you shop. It's like being a stylist and a shopper, all At once.

Who knows you may be even appointed by celebrities across various fields to be their shopping assistant. Sounds fascinating!

In India there are several image consultant training institutes to groom your knowledge in this field. Online certificate courses can also be received for the same (Visit the official website of IAP Career College)

OCEANOGRAPHER

Diving deep into the unknown fathoms of the ocean and having a glance of the life beneath the visions of the others – this could be your daily routine if you choose to be an oceanographer. Oceanographers or mariners cover a wide range of topics including marine life and ecosystems, ocean circulation, plate tectonics and the geology of the sea floor, and the chemical and physical properties of the ocean. Oceanographers and marine biologists study plants and animals in the marine environment. They take a deep interested in the numbers of marine organisms and how these organisms develop, relate to one another, adapt to their environment, and interact with it.

Centre for Oceans, Rivers, Atmosphere and Land Sciences (CORAL), Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur

Department of Marine Sciences, Goa University, Goa

Apart from those mentioned in the list, one can choose other alternatives for offbeat career options as well, be it a game tester, a foodie (officially food tester), pastry chef and many more. All that one needs to have is, passion and courage to choose the given profession, rather than confining to ones which are identified by the society, and you are all set to attain the higher steps on the success ladder with a secured income and a dynamic job.

The crazy debate of vegetarians and non-vegetarians has been going on for centuries. People prohibit eating non vegetarian food in the name of religion and morality. Most of the vegetarians strictly believe that eating meat and chicken is an immoral, unethical and insensitive act depicting inhumanity and cruelty towards those meek creatures. They criticise fellow beings and feel disgusted for them.

On the other hand, non vegetarians eat it out of taste and some believe that meat, fish and chicken contains more proteins, vitamins and minerals as compared to simple vegetables and grains. Statistics support that seafood and non vegetarian food contains vitamins and proteins that cannot be purely achieved of out of simple food.

But, the actual matter is not about who is interested in eating what; the complete dispute is regarding the mentality that people carry with them. To be precise and simple, the kind of food we eat is based on our preferences and taste. It is upon us to decide what should we eat, and what we must not eat. You must not form an opinion about an individual just because of the kind of food he/she eats. We must respect the choice of all, without criticism and hatred.

EYE OPENERS

There are many people who eat eggs and call themselves eggitarian; perhaps a new trendy word. I have heard people say how can you kill a yet-to-be-born-baby chick? It isn’t so. All eggs do not hatch into chicks. Only fertile eggs that have been incubated under proper conditions can become an embryo and develop into a chick. So, eating eggs doesn’t constitute killing living beings.

Next, when I think about why people put blame on killing fellow living beings, I get shocked. If thought deeply, even plants are living beings then why are plants killed to satisfy human wants? Roots like onion, carrot, sweet potato and beetroot are eaten which are extracted by destroying the plant. If we don’t make it an issue, then why eating meat is an issue. It has been scientifically proved that plants respond to human touch, they understand emotions so why aren’t plant eating animals not blamed for killing plants which provide us with the basic life amenities ? It is ironical that we kill a living being for food and criticise others for killing animals, which is just a different category of living beings. Then, how does the question of immorality come for non vegetarians and not for vegetarians? Just because plants don’t shout, they are immobile and we are not thinking properly about this issue doesn’t mean that killing plants is right. I don’t get why we become so orthodox and irrational on some issues.

The world lives on Darwin’s theory of ‘Survival of the Fittest.’ The entire existence of mankind and other species can be summed up in the urge to survive breaking all the odds and therefore, the food chain goes on. Birth and death are the two sides of the same coin. We humans, indisputably, get wider choice being the most advanced species.

MODIFY YOUR THINKING

So next time when you point out at a non vegetarian and pass tantrums, do remember that it is okay; stop making a fuss about it. Don’t make someone feel guilty for no good reason. Have a broader mentality and accept the fact that no matter what, every species in this world has to do something to fill up his stomach. This is what life is all about. Eat healthy, live pure.

Hairstyle complements our outfit. A person is well dressed when he has an eye pleasing hairstyle which perfectly goes with the dress. A perfect, trendy and appropriate hairstyle can make us look gorgeous, enhancing our beauty. In the busy life schedules, what everyone needs is mesmerising, easy and quick hairstyles.

So here are a few easy, distilled and modern hairstyles that you’ll love.

MESSY BUN

The modern messy bun goes with all every outlook and dress, giving a beautiful look to your face. It is appropriate for all types of occasions and events and is a simple hairstyle that you can do yourself at home. Try it out- it is the new trendy look you can carry with you wherever you go.

TWIST AND PIN

Loose falling hair definitely looks good on you, but with a touch of style and simplicity, your hair seems managed and perfect all the time; exactly the way you want them to be.

FRENCH BRAID

One of the most versatile braid; you may either make it in the centre or at one of the sides, it looks amazing. It can be an added style to complement your ponytail or any other style that goes on your face. If you are not getting what would go on your outfit, French braid will definitely come to your rescue as it goes with all- a gorgeous look for you.

SLEEK VIXEN HAIRSTYLE

A glowing touch of Indian culture coupled with modernity will change your getup for good and give you a new look. It complements both Indian wear and western dresses. Quite simple and unique hairstyle that will make you shine in the crowd.

TWISTED PONY

Tired of simple, plain pony!

Bring a change with the new cute look and stylish pony that will suit your dress and act like a makeover for you. The best part is it only takes two minutes to create it and it is so versatile that you can wear it to any occasion.

TUCK AND COVER HAIRSTYLE

It is the ever popular style. Like the name suggest, it is just two easy steps- tuck it and then cover. It can be used in both formal and casual occasions. Undoubtedly, it is a beautiful and very easy style to create.

HALF UP AND HALF DOWN HAIRSTYLE

When you are running out of time, this half up and half down will complement your flowing hair. It gives a finishing touch to your hair, enhancing style.

SLICKED BACK PONYTAIL

This style doesn’t require an expensive trip to a saloon. Rather it is a great way to add a little bit of style to your look without making too much of efforts. It is even preferred if your clothing is a bit extravagant. No offence, but slicked back ponytail is more dressy than just a regular ponytail.

Hurry up girls, look more modern in less time, less efforts and more perfection.

It is very important for India to get into the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) because, our future energy needs depends on it. However, there is a huge blockade called China, which under no circumstances wants India to join this group of nations, who are principal “supplier countries that seek to contribute to the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons through the implementation of two sets of Guidelines for nuclear exports and nuclear-related exports.” At present, almost all countries support India’s entry except China who sees India as its challenger and main rival in Asia.

But the spirited foreign policy campaign of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modiin the last two years has now put India within a striking distance along with the support of United States of America to get into NSG and this has created a panic situation in Pakistan forcing it to approach other countries who already are supporting India. Already the Pakistanis and the Chinese are upset because somehow India is now a member of Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) which will now allow India to sell BrahMos cruise missile to other countries, particularly in South East Asia and that will tip the balance in the South China Sea where China is hugely disliked and feared.

But the real reasons for China’s insistence on the exclusion of India from the NSG is Pakistan, a nation which has a long history in smuggling and proliferation of nuclear technology and the components need to build powerful nuclear warheads. China wants Pakistan to also get a seat in the NSG club because it wants to maintain a buffer and also keep India’s foreign policy and defense policy Pakistan centric, so there will always be strategic imbalance between China and India. But the fact is every other country who are members of NSG supports India and does not want Pakistan to get access to more nuclear materials, equipment technology because as per Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) Pakistan continues to be ahead of India when it comes to having higher number of nuclear warheads and beats Israel as well as North Korea. Pakistan applied for membership in 2016 with China’s support but given its track record of selling nuclear secrets to countries like North Korea, Libya, and Iran, it is safe to assume the rest of the members will not support Pakistan’s entry into NSG because it is an irresponsible nuclear weapons state.

Right now there are 48 member countries that have the right to veto any new nations joining NSG, and China clearly likes to use this power to lord over India. But this is not the first time this has happened because China being a permanent member of the United Nations Security Consul just recently used its veto power to block Pakistan-based terrorist group Jaish-e-Mohammad and its chief Masood Azhar from being banned; sighting the decision was taken on the bases of “facts” and “procedure” but in general, China is against all forms of terrorism as long as it emanates from Pakistan to hurt India since it has huge strategic and economic stake in the form of China-Pakistan economic corridor (CPEC)

For China, any strategic gain by India is detrimental to its designs in South East Asia and the Indian Ocean Region where it wants to dominate. However with India developing Chabahar Port in Iran which will give us the gateway to Afghanistan, Central Asia, and the Caspian Sea is major Geo-strategic. The distance between Chabahar Port to Gwadar Port is only 170 kilometers which are located in the restive Baluchistan region and India’s “look east” policy is to develop the closer relationship with its South East Asia Neighbors like Japan, South Korea, Vietnam and Cambodia, having left China feel the pinch.

The only technical reason the Chinese have to stop India from getting into NSG is that we are not signatories to Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). However, some of the past member countries like France joined NSG without signing NPT which is the precedence India sights and its long record of maintaining its integrity with its own nuclear program unlike Pakistan who has been caught with its hand in the Cooke jar for clandestinely selling nuclear technology to rogue state like North Korea and in return getting nuclear capable ballistic missile technology which is prohibited under MTCR. Also, if India signs the NPT it will seriously compromise its national security since it will have to give up its nuclear arsenals and when you are surrounded by two neighbors with whom India have fought wars, it would be illogical. Plus we will be at the mercy of other nuclear power nations to protect us and in return make deals which will cost us dearly.

China knows this which is why it is forcing the NPT card on the table because India will never sign the NPT under the current clauses. It also knows that its lackey, Pakistan will also never sign the NPT thus making this whole action of India moot or both countries join after signing the NPT making it a win-win situation for China. So to propose Pakistan’s name to become a member of NSG as precursor knowing fully the other countries will say no to, will than give China the opportunity to state that by letting India into the NSG, it will create an unstable security dynamics in Asia and would lead to nuclear race. India is now a very fast growing economy and has a growing energy need. Since the world is fast moving towards clean energy and nuclear energy constitutes as one of the most important sources of clean energy which will fulfill our growing need.

Music is an entity indefinable by words alone. It is not only something you hear but what you feel. It is something your soul can reach out and touch. Complex or simple, fast or slow, loud or soft. It is what you feel, or it could be your method of escape or it could just keep you alive. One such genre of music is Blues. It is the music of the heart. It comes straight from the heart and holds such emotions that touches the cords of the listener’s heart. All you music lovers, you get what I mean, don’t you, and if especially blues is your genre too, you’re gonna love this. Listening to good blues, for me, is something where I can have a heart to heart conversation with the singer itself. Sadly, there are very few pure blues band in India. But here’s a list of the top five Blues band that all of us should know:

Soulmate: This one is my personal favorite, and also the best blues band in India by far. They are from Shillong, Meghalaya, which is also known as “India’s Rock Capital” owing to it’s inhabitants’ great passion for music. The band is primarily made up of Rudy Wallang(guitar/vocals/songwriter) and Tipriti ‘TIPS’ Kharbangar (vocals/guitar), although they frequently team up with session musicians when on tour. This band came together in 2003, playing their first concert at the ‘Roots Festival’ at Umiam. It also happens to be the only Indian blues band to have represented India at the 23rd International Blues Challenge organized by The Blues Foundation of America, in Memphis, Tennessee, USA, in February 2007 and 2010. Tipriti is considered as one of the finest female singers to have emerged from North East India and Wallang is considered one of the most respected blues guitarists of India.

Smokestack: This band named after the legendary song by Howling Wolf – Smokestack, started off as a pretty purist country blues trio, singing mostly covers of the classic blues songs across all styles in 2006. They all hail from Pune. At present the band consists of five members- Anoop Kumar (Vocals, Acoustic/Electric Guitar), Michael Thompson (Harmonica), Vishal Gore (Vocals, Bass, Electric/Acoustic Guitar), Shreyas Iyengar( Drums, Percussion) and Vidula Andromeda (Vocals, Harmonica). They began experimenting with folk and roots music as well as rhythmic influences from around the world, soon after their formation. This led to expanding the band to include drums and electric guitars. The band is known to channelize raw, direct emotions through their music.

The Saturday Night Blues: It is one of the only mainstream blues band in India, formed in 1999. The band, made up of some of the cream of Kolkata’s working musicians, performs frequently on Saturday nights at Someplace Else, the “Music Mecca” of India - The Park Hotel, downtown Kolkata - for over a decade The band members are Jayanta Dasgupta (Vocals, guitar), Arunima Dasgupta (vocals, percussion), Stuart Munro (vocals, bass guitar), and Avinash Chordia (drums). Be it the down home delta blues of Mississippi, the chic and groovy sounds of Chicago, the smokin’ jazz blues of New Orleans, the gritty blues of Texas or contemporary blues , this band plays it all! Their sound is lively, energetic and strongly groove driven and has won them a massive, steady fan following. Their informal and interactive approach towards the music and the audience always results in an evening that is pure entertainment. If you’re looking for some soaring slide guitar and smokin’ hot-rodded blues, this is the band you want to tune into!

Big Bang Blues: This band started off in 2009, with the electric blues sound, hails from the capital city, New Delhi. They then evolved into a more Blues-Rock act. The band members are- Sushant Thakur (Guitars/Slide)Ipshita Roy (Vocals), Shivam Khare (Keyboards), Rahul Rai (Bass), and Adhiraj Mustafi (Drums). The five-piece band creates its sound from the diverse influences from Led Zeppelin, Stevie Ray Vaughan to Aretha Franklin, Etta james. It is also known to create its sound from the diverse influences brought in together by the members who trace their roots to completely different backgrounds. It has brought to Indian music scene a variety of sounds with unmatched energy.

Blues Conscience: Founded in 2008, this band hails from Chennai. It began with the intent of promoting blues in the contemporary rock and metal dominated Indian music scene. The band members are- Anek Ahuja (Vocals/Bass), Aum Janakiram (Vocals/Guitars), Neil Smith (Drums), Sid Kumar (Keys), and guest member Maarten Vsiser (Saxophone). As a three piece outfit, their roots go deep into some of the greats that have played the blues such as B.B.King, Jimi Hendrix, etc., to name a few. They provide a fully suited up act, retaining every essence of the blues, and doing renditions of their own. Often this band is called a ‘feel good band’ that constantly engages the audience with the right energy.

All of these bands perform across India and are very refreshing. I hope you like this list and may it inspire ya’all music lovers to listen to more of Indian blues and appreciate the talent we have in our own motherland.

(p.s. Don’t forget to tell us what you think about it.)

Frustrated from the unbearable heat of Delhi? Here are 7 nearby “chilling out” places surrounding Delhi that can offer you the perfect getaway from this intolerable weather and Delhi’s prolong heavy traffic roads and crowdedness.

With an alluring scenic beauty to the much needed ‘air-freshness’ ,all of these hill stations are located within a radius of 400kms and thus they could be your next weekend destinations.

MORNI HILLS (260 kms)

Morni is a small village located at a distance of 260 kms from Delhi (In Panchkula district of Haryana). With a land full of greenery and astonishing beauty of nature one can just forget the worries of world and enjoy the treat of a marvelous scenic beauty of the hills. Blessed with breezing air in the lapse of the Mother Nature, Morni hills shall provide you the perfect escape from the Delhi’s stress. Some of the good sightseeing options are the two lakes that are present amidst the spurs of the hills, namely Tikkar taal and Bada tikkar (and Chota tikkar as well) which are also considered sacred by the local inhabitants. Apart from trekking, one can also choose to go for other activities like rock-climbing, Low ropes, commando nets, Burma Bridge, boating, canoeing, kayaking, sailing and rappelling. As an add on to the fun package, the area also has a well-constructed, thrilling adventure park to give you one of best joys of the mad rides. A weekend escape or even a family picnic spot, Morni gives it all.

LANSDOWNE (260.5 kms)

Lansdowne, one of the quietest and “unspoiled” hills station located in Pauri Garhwal district in Uttrakhand, could be the perfect destination to be cut off from the crowd and recline with peace. It is one of the cleanest hill stations as it lies in the well-off cantonment areas of Garhwal Rifles. With beautiful architecture and marvelous creativity, the buildings provide a spectacular insight into the times of British colonization. Salubrious weather and the mesmerizing view can be the perfect compliments for meditative rejuvenation. Apart from which is the infamous man-made artificial lake, Bhulla Lake, or locally named as Bhulla Tal is one of the most maintained lakes in the area and a major tourist attracter. Adventure activities like trekking, bird watching and boating can be a good source of entertainment as well.

Looking for a tranquil atmosphere? Then Lansdowne is a must visit!

NAHAN (262 kms)

Nahan, a hill town is the headquarters of ancient Sirmaur district of Himachal Pradesh, is a rich –in forests and snow capped mountains surrounding it. The picturesque hill station shall leave you spell bounded with its breathtaking view and culturally rich diversity in fauna. Being a historic town in the princely city of Sirmaur the land is marked with architectural establishments and a great agricultural base. It’s in the ‘must travel’ list for those interested in trekking. Apart from which, there are several tourist spots to give you pleasurable experience like Villa Round, Renuka Lake, Mall Road, Hospital Round, Kaisthan Temple, Jagannath Temple, Shudh Dhar Shiv Mandir, Shiwalik Fossil Park, Trilokpur Temple and Dhaula Kuan. Even a walk around the city will give you astonishing sights of its well maintained cleanliness.

Looking for the richness of both, greenery and culture? This is your ‘nearby’ dreamland.

NAUKUCHIATAL (313 kms)

No, it’s not the name of a town located down in the south, but a small lake village in Nainital to give you a place to rejuvenate in an enchanting valley. Naukuchital, literally meaning a nine-corned lake holds a mystic quality on the basis of some local myths and stories is a tourist attracting magnet. According to one of the beliefs, it is said that, if one takes a glimpse of all nine corners at once with foots on earth, one shall disappear in clouds to attain nirvana ( paradise, most appropriately). This implies that it is impossible to look at all nine corners of the lake at once with your foot on the ground. Apart from such mysterious elements, the village holds a heart-stopping beauty of flora and fauna to overwhelm you with a heavenly feeling. Placid beauty and a climate perfect to give you relaxation; Naukuchital’s beauty can be defined in a poet’s thoughts, a traveler’s odyssey and an avid dwellers peace of mind.

Next time if you think of visiting Nainital, do remember this place.

KANATAL ( 300 kms)

An amicable town near Mussoorie, Kanatal serves to be mainly a weekend getaway for the locals as well as those looking for a quite place undisturbed by the infestation of tourists unlike the popular hill station, Mussoorie. This town is located in a very scenic setting surrounding by mountains and rivers and creating an artistry beauty. Most of the times, the town is left untouched by the excessive tourist stepping and man-made ruckus, which adds to the ‘quietness’ of the town. You can also take a walk through the town and discover apple orchards, pine forests, tiny temples and the friendly locals. One can have a visit to the Kodia Jungle, which is a dense forest area located at a distance of around one kilometer away from Kanatal and spot a few wild animals by taking a ride through the jungle in a jeep, along with a rejuvenating bath at many natural springs which are quite prevalent in the region. Also, Tehri Dam is one of the ‘must see’ of this place. You can visit this place any time due to the neutrality in the climatic conditions which is pleasant and salubrious.

MUKTESHWAR (340 kms)

Mukteshwar, a pleasing town located in the Nainital district of Uttrakhand state got its name from a 350 year old temple named Mukteshwar Dham whose residing deity is Lord Shiva. As it sits high on the Kumaon Hills, the town treats you with a 180 degree astonishing views of the imposing Himalayan range. Legends say, Lord Shiva stepped at this place and eradicated Asur or a demon’s negativity and further granted him with Mukti or salvation. Earlier being untouched by the tourists, the town now witnesses a growing construction of hotels to render the services to the rising tourist population. It is said that the greenery here makes you fall in love with the nature completely, even claiming that one of the famous hunters, Jim Corbett (yes, the national park is named after him) came to shoot a tiger but fell in love with the town’s natural bounteousness. . One side offering the views of religious abode like Nanda Devi, Nanda Koti, Nandaghutni, Trishul and Panchachuli and the other capturing the views of a splendid valley covered with lush green forests is actually a feast to the eyes. Then what’s the wait? Come here and fall in love with the magnificence of nature’s beauty.

CHAIL (400 kms)

The former summer capital of Patiala, Chail is a beautiful hill station residing in the Shivalik range of Himachal Pradesh. Despite of panoramic views and resplendent aspect of the nature, Chail has a deep history in connection of its marvelous infrastructures present in the place. Be it Chail Palace, Chail Cricket ground and Chail Military School, they are all symbols of Chail’s connection with the erstwhile royal house of Patiala. Along with Kufri and Shimla, Chail are collectively called as the “Golden Triangle of Himachal Pradesh”. What adds to the perfection of this place is less number of tourist visitors, although the hill station is surrounded by two popular hill stations of north India. Thus, one can spend quality time with the gratuity of nature and its lively heritage of wild flora and fauna. Chail’s wildlife sanctuary attracts a large number of nature lovers and wildlife photographers. Easily spottable animals like Himalayan black deer; common langur, sambar, goral, wild boar etc await your presence to have a look at their grace and the vast green fields. It is an ideal place for the trekkers as lots of trekking trails lead from Chail to Shimla, Choor Peak, Kali Temple and other places. Angling another popular activity is undertaken in Giri River, which is few kilometers away from Chail. It is also a popular pilgrimage, as many tourists and locals visit KALI KA TIBBA, which is a famous Shrine in Chail, every year. One of the best times to visit this hill station is June itself. So hurry! And pack your bags for a getaway this weekend!

On Monday, the members of the Delhi University Teacher’s Association (DUTA) along with the scholars and students of Delhi University held a demonstration at Jantar Mantar demanding the withdrawal of the controversial Academic Performance Indicators (API) system and UGC Gazette Notification .

There have been innumerable protests which have been the talk of the town for last one month. The newspaper headlines are filled with the news of delayed results and their boycott in the admission process. This is because of the amendments ad changes made by the government in the contentious API and increase in working hours.

THE ACTUAL SCENARIO

The teachers are worried about their job security as many posts are being cut short in colleges. Moreover, according to DUTA, the increase in the number of direct working hours will reduce the requirement of excess staff and the appointed teachers will be overburdened, reducing the efficiency of the staff, thus, further degrading the education system. Earlier, direct working hours included lectures, practicals, project supervision and tutorials, all of which were treated equally, but tutorials have now been removed, and the definition has been narrowed down to "Lectures/Practicals/Project Supervision" .As per the UGC (Minimum Qualifications for appointment of teachers and other academic staff in universities and colleges and measures for the maintenance of standards in higher education) Regulations, 2010, the number of teaching hours has been increased. An Assistant Professor who was earlier required to teach 16 hours weekly will now have to work 18+6 hours and Associate Professors and Professors who worked 14 hours - including time spent on tutorials and practicals, will now have to work 16+6 hours and 14+6 hours respectively.

More changes have been proposed by API which has caused further restlessness for teachers.

Reduction in number of seats for teachers from various Colleges under DU:

Teaching posts have reduced to 13.4 per cent from 20 in physics department of Miranda House

Hindi department of Miranda will lose about 40.9 per cent of teaching posts

Shri ram College of Commerce will lose 49.4 per cent of teaching positions

Hindi department in Deshbandhu College will lose upto 49.8 per cent teaching positions

Political science department at Ramjas will lose 44.1 per cent and English at Kirori Mal, 39.5 per cent of its teaching posts

Changes to be implemented (Teachers' context):

Introduction of students' evaluation of teachers

Only students with more than 75 percent can evaluate their teachers

Under teaching/learning/evaluation, a teacher is expected to have 100 points as an assistant professor

Associate professors are expected to have 90 points in the same category

Professors are expected to have 80 points

PROTESTS AND CONFLICTS

The Teachers’ Union are protesting against the amendments proclaimed by the UGC. DUTA is a democratic body and we will not let the government decide our fate.” DUTA President Nandita Narain told The Citizen. She further added that the decision to boycott the evaluation was taken after the UGC notification was put before the General body and All Staff Association in a meeting which was held last week. The HRD Ministry is trying to protect the UGC by giving a view that it will make things more flexible and assured that the said changes will not result in any retrenchment of the staff members, yet the teachers continue to conduct mass protests and has taken the issue to higher authorities.

Attacking the new rules, the memorandum, signed by DUTA president Nandita Narain and secretary Saneep, said: "Any teacher who is interested in 60 points will have to teach 600 hours per year or 300 points per semester. In a semester of 15 weeks, this works out to 20 hours a week... it will be impossible to meet (the target) even if a teacher takes no leave at all, does not fall ill, does not enrol herself in Refresher Courses or do Research Projects.”

STUDENTS’ PROBLEMS AND WORRIES

The mass protests and delay in results has become a situation of worry for the students, especially for the sixth semester. Final year students are sceptical about their results and worried as they seek admission in post graduation courses after the completion of graduation in DU. They are supposed to submit the marksheet by mid of August, both in Indian and foreign educational institutions, which isn’t seeming feasible, as per the going trends.

The teachers are boycotting the new admission process which may delay the new session of the next batch, creating problems for all.

NEED OF THE HOUR

It is high time to come to a final solution to this issue which is running wild from last month so that all the other significant tasks may resume smoothly again. It is hard to say what is right and what is wrong, but even the right idea can degrade the education system if not implemented properly. Past is the clear witness of how vague changes in the system like the initiation of FYUP have experimented with the lives of students and teachers alike. Therefore, the changes should be made with deep thought and with the proper strategy of needful implementation.

Religion is a highly mistaken concept in contemporary world. Religion is related to the kind of clothes worn, the language spoken, the traditions and rituals followed and so on and so forth. India, the land of Unity in Diversity is a colourful country where every religion has the right to live peacefully. Religious diversity and religious difference are both established in the country by law and custom. The constitution of India has declared the right to Freedom of Religion as a fundamental right.

RELIGION AS FRAMED IN THE MIND OF PEOPLE

Religion, according to people, is following a particular set of culture and ideas, as prescribed by the Godman or their elder generations. More precisely, it is the blind faith in a supreme power that is different for groups of people. Right from the birth of a child, he is deemed to follow the ongoing traditions followed by his family. Even before beginning any activity, he has become a victim of social norms, unaware of its existence. He is told not to question or raise a finger against any custom, no matter how illogical it may seem. Any objection is considered as the ultimate sin of human life.

BLIND RELIGION

What exactly religion is? Is it just the separation of human race on the basis of outer pretence? Not at all.

I fantasize the time when Hindu and Muslim actually shared a brother like bond which shattered after the British’s raj on Divide and Rule policy. Turn to the history and facts, 2002 Gujarat Hindu- Muslim riots, Ayodhya temple scuffle and daily communalism incidents have shook the country. The protests take the form of mass violence and molestation between the communities.

Everybody is commercialising his own brand of what he calls ‘God’. People are coming forward to prove that their God is the best. This is complete lunacy. Doesn’t anyone remember the old age adage, “God is one”. The situation has become so grim that it has become a global issue and many movies, for instance Oh My God, PK by Aamir Khan, has projected the issue and tried to bring about a change in the attitude of common people. It is a satire on the Godman and their methodologies to attract people and both condemn religious fraudsters that divide and rule.

The act of terrorism and riots is a result of safeguarding our personal religion and taking revenge from the people of other religion who did absolutely no wrong to us, but the past assumptions of wrongful acts without any concrete proof leads to hatred, which is unbreakable and it pushes people to show their act of cruelty. Even the smallest simple acts are wrongly interpreted and results in rage and anger. The mafias, for their self- interest, use religion as a weapon to conquer the trust of innocent people and add them to their plan. This blind faith has dragged us from our rationality, logic and righteousness.

We believe everything we are told. How are you going to justify the influence of rich people on religious people? We only pretend at religious places to prove that we are a prime devotee. But how good it is to pour water, milk, and other eatables in abundance in holy places when our fellow beings are dying of hunger and starvation? Religion isn’t about showing off, it is about true and pure feelings which aim to bring good for everyone.

The so- called Godmans have indeed started a business, simple and easy. Rightly pointed out in PK, this is indeed ‘dar ka business.’ God fearing people are easily tricked by others in stressed situations and they go blind in faith as they do not want their soul to depart in Hell. These manipulations have killed the human instinct of fearlessness and logic. They have become victim of orthodoxy.

TRUE RELIGION

The true religion is the religion of Humanity. Read the Holy Scriptures written by highly knowledgeable and worthy people, and you’ll know that each blessed and powerful soul focused on the same principles of Humanity and goodness. Humanity is above all considerations.

I don’t advocate the absence of God. Yes, there is the supreme power acting on the Universe, controlling everything day in and day out. He created us, not to fall prey to wrong tactics, but to share the values of love and brotherhood and make this world a better place to live in. This discrimination and separation only make us immoral human being, unworthy of the cause of our existence.

Believe in God, respect him and focus on his teachings but don’t let it be your weakness. The true values make us stronger and focused. Don’t let any other person take undue advantage of your faith.

Live simply, walk humbly, love genuinely, help kindly and always do the good of others. That’s the act of true devotee. Don’t act out of fear, but with due regard and love. Make this place a better to live in.

Few days ago, nearly 400 people were arrested for creating a huge ruckus in the streets and looting over food shortages in the capital city of Surce, Venezuela. During this food war, many people were reportedly marked dead by the local media, which is not accepted to be truthful by the authorities. More than 20 businesses were plundered and the local authorities claimed this act of “vandalism” to be inspired from a right-wing faction within the country’s opposition, as reported in a national daily. "I have no doubt they paid them, this was planned." This statement was not something new to be heard, as the filthy game of politics, there is rule of making irrational and insensitive accusations over the opponents. But by taking a deeper look into the matter, the sense of fatality seems to have grounded the locals who are the sufferers in this drowning state of the nation. With desperate masses shouting out "We want food!" protests and melees at shops have spread across Venezuela in recent weeks, caused by severe shortages. This was one out of the tenth situation that had prevailed in the country and dreaded the entire nation, which are already suppressed under brutal recession and the highest inflation rate across the globe. Searching for reasons for this current fiasco, people have claimed this situation to be a result of failed attempts of the ‘socialist economy policy’ of the Maduro’s and his predecessor, Hugo Chavez are to be blamed.

But how had all this begun in the country, which is now in the state of devastation and curbed downed in productivity?

VENEZUELA HAS A HISTORY OF SHORTAGES

Shortages in Venezuela have been quite prevalent since decades, following the miscarried enactments of price controls and other socio-economic policies since the time of Hugo Chavez’s rule. Further, under the order of Nicolas Maduro, the failed policies of prices, massive importing and the major chunk hoarded by the government of the US dollars, made Venezuela fall short of various necessities in terms of daily food products like milk, various types of meat, coffee, rice, oil, butter prices, which had hiked and even personal hygiene products and medicines had fallen short in terms of supply. As a result of such mismatch, the Venezuelans have to wander around for food, wait in lines for hours and sometimes settle without having certain products.

All this had commenced in the year 1983, when CIA director Bill Casey made a deal with Saudi Arabia, in return for the latest American weapons, Saudi Arabia agreed to open the crude spigots which crippled the Soviet Union’s economic dependency, which had turned out to successful. But this had resulted in severely damaging the oil prices worldwide thus affecting other oil exporting countries including Venezuela, as well. As the oil prices collapsed, the economy of Venezuela had contracted facing sky rocketing inflation rates.

Inflation was at its highest, in the 1990s when it settled at 100% in 1996 and made the entire nation become a land of poor accompanied by helpless governing. This was the phase when Hugo Chavez came into power and made attempts to cool down the burning economy, by introducing economic control mechanism of capital flight, which had successfully reduced inflation by 25% annually.

Capital flight: It implies that the citizens are transferring their money or their assets to other countries in order to protect their finances from the increasing rate of taxes or the government that is on a verge to default on its debt. This is largely done by middle class and the upper class people in a socialist country, as the upper class people do not want to share their assets and thus decide to transfer its personal resources to other nations.

CHAVEZ’S FAILED ATTEMPT TO SAVE THE COUNTRY

Thus majority of capital flight from Venezuela was been transferred to Florida, US, which was almost equivalent to a full year’s worth of income, due to the rich stability of US dollars and lack of confidence in the Venezuela’s citizens and investors. One of the major consequences of the controlling policy of capital flight was shortage of domestic wealth in the country which resulted into a sharp decline in the foreign exchange rate, i.e., devaluation of the nation’s currency. Implicating, a higher capital flight leads to a higher devaluation of the national currency. As the currency is devalued, the citizens lose a huge chunk of their assets and income particularly, which further declines the purchasing power of the common man and also creates the situation wherein the importers are worse off. This final phase translates into an ever-growing inflation trap.

Chavez’s failed controlling policy of capital flight had devastated the economic and the financial stability of the country. To make up for his mistake, Chavez tried to restructure the role of government in the capital market by its meticulous intervention. This means that the government had used its own foreign reserves to purchase its own currency and stabilizing the existing domestic currency. The birth of CADIVI had happened back then, a state run exchange bill which granted its citizens with limited amount of US dollars in the times of when a person had to travel to US, purchase listed import goods or pay off foreign debts etc. But to no avail, this system had a loophole which was already detected by the opportunists, who had collectively established a black market for US dollars. Now the local citizens had purchased the US dollars from the government by forging a flight ticket to US to meet the criteria and then selling these dollars at a hiked price, and earning huge profits from such activity. All this had encouraged the economy bubble to increase and further declining the value of Venezuelan Bolivar currency. This exchange mechanism had also empowered the local importers to sell both the imported as well as domestically produced goods to the nearby country of Columbia and get US dollars in return which could be sold in local black market to earn huge fortunes. Thus, import and export of local goods had become a lucrative business for many. The aftereffect of this was shortage of food in the country itself since the import quantity was so high that it had made the local goods to be depleted below the sustainable lines. In January 2015, the hashtagAnaquelesVaciosEnVenezuelaor EmptyShelvesInVenezuela was the number one trending topic on Twitter in Venezuela for two days, with Venezuelans posting pictures of empty store shelves around the country. The reality had shocked the world that the country was dying out of lack of basic facilities followed by eruption of national health care crisis as well. The country still seems to be struggling with the same and entangled in a vicious circle of interwoven economic aspects leading to consistent inflation which has been translated into an apocalypse for the country.

“VENEZUELA: A MESS” COMING INTO THE NEWS

All of this had started to be flashed into several media channels, when Maduro’s government was extensively being criticized for its failed attempt to curb down inflation which had doubled the rate to 56% now. The Democratic Unity Alliance (several different parties had joined their hands to slaughter only one enemy, Maduro) has left no stone unturned to show their antagony through public demonstrations. To bring an end to the fixed currency rate system,which established by the Chavez government, Maduro decided to call for another financial consultant which had asked the government to open its foreign exchange market, thereby devaluating the domestic currency through its normal global rates, which would have eventually lead to hyperinflation which would bring an end to this so called beneficial policy. Facing riots and mass agitation, by the crowds of upper and middle class people, this policy has not come to power and the country still breaths in the polluted air of an inefficient system. By 2016, experts feared that Venezuela was possibly entering a period of famine, with President Maduro encouraging Venezuelans to cultivate their own food. In January 2016, it was estimated, that the scarcity rate of food was between 50% and 80%.The newly-elected National Assembly, primarily composed of opposition delegates, "declared a national food crisis. Also, Many Venezuelans then began to suffer from shortages of common utilities, such as electricity and water due to the prolonged period of mishandling and corruption under the Maduro government, as claimed.

High inflation and scarcity of basic resources are the issues that continue to persist in this country which is doomed by the ignorant measure taken by its ruler and their abortive policies. The dominance of the Maduro government in the next elections as well, serves to haunt the local citizens who are dying out of lack of food and lack of choices. Justifying the shortages in the name of “economic war” by accusing US for the country’s deserted state seems like the only measure taken by the government to cover up its “crimes against humanity”.

All that one can hope for that, such bloody riots and the ignorance on the part of the government, takes the shape of a transition to democracy rather than declaration of a civil war in the country.

Youth stabbed to death in a busy street, as people were recording it live

On Wednesday, 22 June, a man was beaten and stabbed to death in a busy street of Karnataka, while his friends were trying to help him escape out of the beating. However nobody except them came forward to help him. Infact, majority of the bystanders who have witnessed the event were recording it on their cell phone! (Hello? The man is being killed in front of your eyes, did you notice that?). But why was he brutalized to this extent? At 4.30 pm yesterday, a man identified as Dhanush by the local police in Hassan, 185 kms from Bengaluru, was allegedly staring at a young woman at a bus stop when two men took the offense and got into a verbal quarrel with him. Following which, Dhanush had called his brother and two friends for help and a fight broke out between these two groups. Then, Dhanush's brother, Sudeep, was stabbed. On camera, he can be seen bleeding profusely. At the bus stop nearby, people stand and watched, but nobody came to help or make the situation under control, as reported. Senior police officer Rahul Kumar told NDTV that the attack stopped only when a police team arrived."A case was registered yesterday and five of them have been booked and arrested," he said. It may sound legit to the soul of a feminist, that the man had deserved it, but without proper evidence and no legitimate right to take law and end someone’s life, the act is no less than a crime.

Dying hopes on Humanity

Many of such incidents have shattered the hopes on humanity and raised the questions on insensitivity of the onlookers. A similar case had occurred two years back, when a 19-year-old laborer was allegedly stabbed to death by a man in a busy market in Southeast Delhi’s Dakshinpuri area, in the day light. According to police, the victim, Raju Pandey, had gone to the market for lunch when he reportedly entered into a scuffle with the accused named, Ashu, over money. The argument took an ugly turn when Ashu had allegedly taken out a knife and stabbed Raju, a police officer had reported. Moreover, police said that an onlooker recorded a video of Raju lying in a pool of blood instead of rushing him to the hospital. The video showed Raju lying on the road shouting for help as people stood around looking at him bleeding.

“The family of the deceased alleged that the onlookers let their son bleed to death. They said no one rushed him to the hospital. Instead they were recording a video. They waited for the PCR van to reach and rush him to the hospital,” a police officer said.

A man is stabbed to death, road rages, catastrophic accidents, woman being harassed, elderly couple being abused, animals physically tortured, a foreign tourist stabbed to death or students falling prey to racism being physically abused etc are few of the categories of such recorded videos which went viral online when the proud onlookers had unashamedly done this act of timidity and insensitivity.

Reasons for Ignorance

All these incidents only raise one question, as to what makes the people so insensitive to such brutality. The foremost reasons are:

Gaining Popularity and thus easy money-making idea, as the news channels most likely desire to have such live videos to showcase on their media channels, exclusively to catch thousands of eyes. Also, by simply putting the video online on social media platforms and YouTube and thus earn themselves with some credit and an ‘intangible’ boost with the number of likes and comments on the posted videos, with millions watching the video, encourage this imbecile outlook.

Reluctance to help the victim, is usually common among the eye-witnesses, mostly because of they think that they might get involved in investigation related to the accident and as a consequence of which, they will be questioned unnecessarily from the authorities implying a huge wastage of time and energy which they could have devoted to their work and busy –ongoing lives. Also the lay back attitude of relying on others to help the sufferer often ends with no one extending their helping hand towards him.

‘Why should I help’ attitude is quite common among those who stop by for some time and when the ‘show’ is over they move ahead with their work. People are too cold to show their pity or sympathy towards such misfortune, rather they just add to the hordes of casual onlookers watching the pandemonium and then move ahead, acknowledging their heads with the grief towards the rising intolerance in the country.

Ineffective implementation of Samaritan Law, which offerslegal protection to people who give reasonable assistance to those who are, or who they believe to be, injured, ill, in peril, or otherwise incapacitated, is largely not implemented in India. Often, they are subject to ill-treatment and tedious question-answer sessions held under police custody which makes them unwilling to redo such noble cause again.

Bringing about a Change

Fortunately, The Good Samaritan Law has been only recently being approved by the Supreme Court (w.e.f. 30 may 2016) issuing guidelines by the Centre for the protection of Good Samaritans at the hands of the police or any other authority.

Some of its benefiting guidelines, as mentioned, are:

The Good Samaritan will be treated respectfully and without any discrimination on the grounds of gender, religion, nationality and caste.

Any individual, except an eyewitness, who calls the police to inform them of an accidental injury or death need not reveal his or her personal details such as full name, address or phone number.

The police will not compel the Good Samaritan to disclose his or her name, identity, address and other such details in the police record form or log register.

The police will not force any Good Samaritan in procuring information or anything else.

Hopefully, this shall encourage the onlookers to come forward and help the ones suffering without fearing to invite troubles to them.

Such reluctance and shamelessness by both the onlookers and the local authorities has to be dealt with sternly. As, nearly 50 % of the road accident victims and those who die due to a quarrels held in public areas is due to the negligence of those who were present at the ‘blood’-y sight. On the part of the victims, to help themselves, by seeking aid from the onlookers, they should understand the ‘Bystander effect ‘and point at someone to help them. The game of ‘pin-pointing; will make the onlooker feel responsible enough to help the one crying for it and come forward from the crowd.

Bystander’s Effect: The bystander effect, or bystander apathy, is a social psychological phenomenon that refers to cases in which individuals do not offer any means of help to a victim when other people are present. The probability of help is inversely related to the number of bystanders. In other words, the greater the number of bystanders, the less likely it is that any one of them will help. Several variables help to explain why the bystander effect occurs. These variables include: ambiguity, cohesiveness and diffusion of responsibility. (This is what happens in most of the busy streets of India, too many eyes, but no hands)

With the necessary reforms in the legal structure and embed ‘more’ sensitivity towards such incidents, many lives can be saved. As rightly it’s said, ignoring a crime is same as committing one.

Next time don’t think about sharing the video, kindly care to share your concerns whenever you see a needy lying helplessly in front of the mass.

Over the years, education in India has been made available for everyone almost throughout the country. And yet, there still are places where children have no means of education, or even a wish to choose education. They are influenced by the people and lives around them and have very little to their imagination they could dream to be. Or in some places where they often fall into a life of crime, and instead dream of becoming a gangster or mafia in their own area, so that they do not have to live a difficult life as the one they had in their childhood.

Such is also the painful story of the kids growing up in the slums of Mumbai. Here the kids have a hard life, living a life of anonymity, striving to survive, where their parents have to work day and night to put food on the table, leaving the children to run wild which often results in them fall into the clutches of local goons and slum lords who lead them astray or into a life of crime. The distractions are many and role models few.

A Mumbai school for the underprivileged has taken up the initiative to put efforts to engage and educate the children so they can lead a better life and dream of a future that is commendable, by bringing education to the children at their doorsteps. Yes, the Door Step School has taken the big leap to change the present and to make 100 percent literacy a reality. This is a group of people whose main motivation in life is ‘service to society’ and they believe the best way to do so is to usher in a wave of knowledge that engulfs the future of our nation – the children.

Door Step School was founded by the duo Mrs. Rajani Paranjape and Ms. Bina Seth Lashkari in 1988-89, Maharastra. Now they run two chapters of the school- in Mumbai and in Pune. They came up with an interesting initiative to encourage and motivate children to study. India is a country where the lanes and streets are named after famous peoples who have been role models for many people in many ways. But these kids in slums have very little or nothing where they could look for proper and right role models. Door Step School realized that these kids needed real role models, so why not the very kids who were beating the odds everyday by staying in school and excelling. They themselves could be potentially famous children. So what they did is, the teachers identified the most promising students and named hitherto no-name alleys and narrow streets in the slums after kids, who are academic achievers or have made the effort to rise above their circumstances to study.

The Local Corporators joined hands with the Door Step School in this initiative. Innovative initiatives like these serve the purpose of rewarding kids for their efforts and creating role models for other children to enroll in school. Felicitating them also serves the purpose of getting them to stick with academics and focus on building careers. The entire slum community were invited at these road-naming ceremonies and even some famous people graced it with their presence. Also the parents of these kids were celebrated as they too contributed their part by toiling day and night for them.

This road naming activity has so far been carried out in three slum localities of Mumbai which are, the Balasaheb Ambedkar Nagar Chawl at Cuffe Parade, Hiranandani Akruti Chawl in Govandi and Maharashtra Nagar Rickshaw Stand Chawl in Mankhurd, and over a dozen of streets are named after kids who now live for a new dream, not to choose the corrupt path but be role models and successful people in life. These very slums that used to be the signs of depression and hopelessness are now turning into places and sources of inspiration in the society.

Dog meat eating has existed in China for more than 500 years, where it was once a traditional delicacy, it was however dramatically declined, but the festival has only taken place since 2009. Every year on 21 June marks the beginning of the time when humanity was slaughtered, shedding blood of the innocents. The Lychee and Dog meat Festival, commonly regarded as the Yulin’s Dog Meat Festival, is being celebrated for the seventh time this year, despite of being symbolized as a disgrace over mankind and petitions signed in lakhs, pleading to let go off the faultless souls, who are howling in pain and dying with torture. “An estimated 10 million dogs are devoured across China each year, including around 10,000 that end up at the infamous Yulin Dog Meat Festival, which kicks off once again on June 21 in Yulin, Guangxi.”

A portion of this meat comes from kidnapping and forceful abduction of stray and pet dogs across various parts of the city. These are then transported in a crowded, brutal and unsanitary atmosphere, sometimes from unknown sources, only to arrive at the festival sick, dying or dead, according to CNN. China’s food safety administration bans selling meat from animals in these conditions. Prolonged exposure to unvaccinated dogs increases the chance of contracting the deadly diseases. Thus, the Yulin incidence of human rabies is most common among top ten cities of China, as reported. Hence, the Festival is criticized, to serve to be a threat to public health.

Why dog eating became a cultural practice in China?

Every culture has its culinary peccadilloes, and China has a long history of eating dogs, basically since 500 years ago, due to a belief of dog’s meat possessing medicinal qualities as their meat is supposed to stoke the body’syang energy. Also, According to Chinese lore, eating dog meat stimulates ‘internal heat, making it a food that wards off winters’ cold’. But on the inaugural day to celebrate summer solstice, it’s asuperstition that’s driving dog consumption : the meat is believed to bring good fortune and health. At Yulin, hotpots are fired up, lychees peeled and liquors poured with the dog meat served in good supply. Harbourers of such tradition, butcher over 10,000 dogs by celebrating this cruelty over 10 days.

Authorities in Yulin claim that the Festival does not exist!

Gathering huge media attention, with people from different parts of the world fulminated against this practice in China, authorities in Yulin have claimed in their official statement that there was no such festival held, but only a “small gathering of locals celebrating a cultural practice with consuming the dog meat”. Asking the government to intervene in between, they said that making a ban is not in their hands since it is conducted by private businessmen. Still believing in the power of morality over cruel, the petitions were addressed to the president, Xi Jinping seeking for justice of the nonsensical butchering of thousands of dogs. But, it seems like everything has fallen into deaf ears, as the ‘non-existent’ festival is celebrated this year as well, with nearly 10,000 lives being sacrificed in the name of traditional fallacies.

China doesn’t have an Animal Protection Law

A draft law was being proposed in 2009, to punish the animal abusers with a fine with hefty amount and detention over two weeks. But to date, the National Congress has not signed the law, it has a “yet to issue” statement on it. However, the experts had clearly mentioned that it was illegal to trade such animals, which are treated as ‘pets’ and ‘companions’ under the regulations passed by the Ministry of Agriculture, which had also asked the requirement of laboratory quarantine for animals before transportation, a practice that’s “rare to see,” animal rights lawyer An Xiang told China Daily. Even more, many dogs are stolen, abducted, raised in households, making dog trade difficult to document (there are also dog farms, too). With no options left, the activists had to buy dogs which were illegally abandoned by the local traders at a huge amount.

This year, 1000 dogs were saved by the adamant dog protectors

There was a silver lightening in the city where the humanity was doomed upon, as the animal rights activists and the dog lovers had ‘ruined the mood’ at the Yulin festival by rescuing nearly thousand of caged dogs which were to become a meal for the festival. Human Society International (HIS) along with others had been buying the caged dogs which were ill-treated at the hands of their slaughter-master and traders. However, they had faced problems while buying the dogs as the traders became suspicious about the motive of their so-called ‘ buyers’ and many were not willing to sell their stock believing that it would defeat the purpose and kill the celebrations. Unfortunately, all the dogs could not be saved, which made many of them cry at the scene of such massacre, where blood of the innocent flowed and people had prey to the almighty to let these souls rest in peace and not take a rebirth as a animal again in a country, which is proud in its achievements but is helpless to favour the interests of their own citizens. Every victory shall be short-lived without a cultural change. It is high time to recognize that dogs are ‘friends’, oftenly regarded as ‘human companions’. How can you kill your own friends? The brutality has to stop.

Until, there is not adequate enforcement by the Government and the support of local authorities to show the rage against such disgraceful practice, China shall always live with a badge of dishonor, against its astounding conquests over the world.

United Kingdom’s much-discussed demand to leave from the European Union(EU) had caused many squabbles in news . After being a part of the EU for 43 years since 1972 UK took a referendum to exit from this 28 member states fraternity, European Union. Much has been in question as to why and what has led to these circumstances. Till yesterday, the people emotions had been mixed on the question of Britain leaving the Union, as the nation was split almost equally over Brexit(Britain’s Exit) and Bremen (Britain to remain) from EU. Yesterday on 23rd June UK held its referendum for the vote and the results are out. Brexit has won over Bremain, with the “leave” campaign securing 51.8 per cent of the vote. Now that Brexit is a reality what is going to happen next. Here’s what we think all should know:

What was happening?

Britain was dealing with a love-hate relationship with the EU for decades. This decision of Britain to self-eject from EU is not a culmination of just 4 months of a heady campaign but 4 decades of latent Euroscepticism. So PM Cameron led the referendum as he had promised that he would after winning 2015 general election i.e., to decide whether to stay or to leave the EU. The election took place yesterday June 23, and as the counting process is complete today the result is in favour of Britain to exit from EU.

Why was the referendum needed?

Prime Minister David Cameron promised to hold a referendum if he won the 2015 general elections, in response to growing calls from his own Conservative MPs and the UK Independence Party (UKIP), who argued that Britain had not had a say since 1975, when it voted to stay in the EU in a referendum. The EU has changed a lot since then, gaining more control over their daily lives, they argued. Mr. Cameron said: “It is time for the British people to have their say. It is time to settle this European question in British politics.”

Major Factors that led to Brexit

The “leave” campaign of Britain mostly focused on emotional arguments about immigration, but there are many other reasons which we think were considered as would benefit UK if it left EU.

The EU was seen as a threat to the British sovereignty, as this also was very openly expressed by the majority Conservative politicians. Over the past few decades, a series of EU treaties had shifted a growing amount of power from individual member states to the central EU bureaucracy in Brussels. On subjects where the EU had been granted authority such as competition policy, agriculture, and copyright and patent law, it overrode the national laws.

The EU was said to be strangling the UK in burdensome regulations, leading many critics to state that EU’s regulations were becoming increasingly onerous.

Many British Conservatives saw EU as an imposing left-wing, big-government policies on Britain, whereas some other on the British Left saw that EU’s antidemocratic structure gave too much power to the corporate elites and prevented the British Left from making significant gains.

EU law guaranteed that citizens of one EU country had the right to travel to another without any difficulty for living or job necessities. But the British people felt the impact of this rule increasingly since the 2008 financial crisis. The Eurozone had struggled economically which led the workers from Eurozone countries to flock in the UK in search of work. But this led to the decrease in the job opportunities for the native working population, hence, the immigration became such a politicized issue in Britain.

While many Brexit supporters simply wanted to reduce the amount of immigration overall, many others argued that the UK could have a more sensible immigration system. EU rules require the UK to admit all EU citizens who want to move to Britain, whether or not they have good job prospects or English skills. This “leave” campaign advocated the admission of immigrants who would bring valuable skills to the country who could integrate well into the culture of Britishers.

The UK could keep the money it currently sends to EU, that being said, currently the UK’s contribution is about $19 million per year. The EU doesn’t have the power to directly collect taxes, but it requires member states to make contribution annually to the EU Central Budget. While much of the money that the UK contributes is used in the services of the UK itself but Brexit supporters argued that it would be better for the UK to simply keep the money and let Parliament decide how to spend it.

What is the scene now?

Well, as a result of the referendum, after Brexit won maximum votes, Prime Minister David Cameron resigned today saying Britain requires a new PM to lead from now. The Cabinet will meet on Monday and a timetable for him stepping down will be drawn up. It is uncertain what will happen hereafter, since no country has left the EU before and the rules for exit are brief in the Article 50 of the Treaty of Lisbon. The Pound has crashed to the lowest since 1985 as sterling fell below $1.35 as London market opened today. Even France’s economy has taken over UK’s sending investors to flee to the safe haven of gold. This fall seems to be the worst in history.

Now, it will take a minimum two years for UK to leave the EU. During which it can continue to abide by the EU treaties and laws, however, won’t be able to participate in any decision making. It will have to thrash out the terms of its departure. Issues will include what financial regulations will still apply to the City of London, trade tariffs and movement rights of EU citizens and UK nationals. The agreement will have to be ratified both by the European council and the parliament in Strasbourg.

Well, the consequences are very much uncertain now but according to many people in the EU, community believes that Britain quitting its membership can encourage other nations to follow suit with referendums of their own or deals of their own.

David William Donald Cameron (born on 9 October 1966), the United Kingdom’s Prime Minister, is the leader of the Conservative party and the member of Parliament for the Oxfordshire constituency of Witney. Following the election of a hung parliament in the 2010 election, Cameron became the Prime Minister as the leader of the coalition between the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats. He was re-elected as the Prime Minister in 2015 election where his party won majority votes for the first time since 1992.

The debate of Brexit vote has been an issue of agitation in the United Kingdom for ages. Campaigners have worked against the Europian Union( EU) ever since the UK joined the common market in 1973.

The referendum carried by Mr. Cameron, delivered a shock victory for the Leave campaign. Mr Cameron, who was in stark support for continuing with the common market as he feared that the separation from the Union may bring negative repercussions for the country, resigned from his reputed post via an explanatory statement outside 10 Downing street.

The issue hounded John Major’s premiership, lay dormant through the Tony Blair years before rearing its head once again as the economy turned sour at the end of the last decade.

David Cameron was keen to move his party away from ‘banging on about Europe’ after he became the leader. But once, he felt an urgent need for the referendum as this topic was gaining huge momentum among the masses. Brexit, a term simply coined long back, became a mainstream political movement in Britain. The prime minister finally committed to an EU vote in January 2013 with what has become known as his Bloomberg speech, promising to renegotiate and then call a referendum by the end of 2017. He was over optimistic and confident that this issue might settle down soon and people would not give a cry for it. But the opposite happened. In his Prime Minister campaign, he tasted victory partially on the promise of a referendum, which made it simply impossible for him to back off.

The results shocked everyone. Over 33 million people from England, Scotland, whales, Northern Ireland and Gibraltar participated in the poll election and over 52% of the votes were in favour of Brexit. At the outbreak of his speech, he exclaimed, “I think the country requires a fresh leadership to take it in this direction.”

Though, he ended on a very peaceful note, he literally broke into emotions at the time of his speech. Serving as the Prime Minister of UK for six years, he was thankful to people who supported him and gave him a chance to work as a representative of the country. No matter what the decision came out to be, he optimistically carried on his speech saying, ‘British people have made their choice that not only needs to be respected but those only on the losing side of the argument, myself included, should help to make it work.”

Let us see what happens when the new government comes into force, and what happens with the new policy of Britain. Fingers crossed.

Presently being the ‘targeted’ face on the dart board of Subramanian Swami’s, Indian politics’ poster boy, Mr. Arivnd Kejriwal seems to have become a professional movie critique by explaining his thoughts on the latest Bollywood releases, from PK to Udta Punjab. No, the aim of his life is not just being a “Modi-basher” and ruining the already ruined, Delhi, but also, out of his ‘busy’ political career, he likes to go for the movies and shares his experience on his twitter handle as well. Despite his desperate attempts to steal away the limelight by posing to be ‘controversial’ by his actions and statements, Kejriwal’s habit of watching and reviewing a string of Bollywood movies seems to be slammed by his followers on Twitter, who have never left any stone unturned, to add the humor to his miseries. The hashtag ‘Kejrimovies’ is running hot on Twitter now.

Here are few of his tweets, which have proved that the Delhi’s Jhaadu Man, ’Kejru’ is more than being a full-time CM. (Starting from the most recent reviews)

“V interesting movie” @ShirishKunder

Spouse of Farah Khan and a Film maker (including Jaan-E-man and Joker), Shrish kunder’s magical work on the short-thriller movie, Kriti, already gathered millions of eyeballs on YouTube as it went viral, last week. The movie holds an interesting yet a dangerous aspect of mind’s self-created psychological twisted truths, starring the infamous actors, Manoj Bajpayee, and Radhika Apte. The movie seems to be very alluring that even Kejriwal got the time, to watch this 18 minutes thriller and review it with a limited expressing capacity.

“Just watched Udta Punjab. V Powerful. Badals must watch it see what they have done to Punjab”

Ooooo! What a comeback, Mr. CM!

Already being subject to several controversies and being nearly ‘banned’, Nihalani’s nightmare, Udta Punjab was able, to sum up nearly 10 crores on its first day and many had appreciated that the movie was worth it all. The movie seems to be a delightful experience for Mr. Kejriwal as well, who had not missed the opportunity in politicizing his beliefs while addressing his grief on the drug menace in Punjab.

Even Delhi’s CM loves you, Aamir. How could you ever think about leaving this country? *makes a wimpy face*

Pk, a satire on the prevalent conditions in the ‘Mandir and Masjid’ sector of our economy and how the religions have divided us since the inception of a supreme power, named ‘God. Such well-knitted movie with interwoven controversial aspects seems to be well appreciated by even the too –sensitive ‘Dharna – Man’, Kejriwal, who calls the movie’s subject to be ‘delicate’ (good observing powers, Sir) and well handled by our perfectionist, Aamir Khan.

Awww! Devoting quality time to your family, despite being levied with over-the- top and most of it ‘unrequired’ burden, Mr.Kejriwal seems to be the perfect ‘Aam Aadmi’.

The Hritik Roshan starrer film, Bang Bang (“inspired” by the Hollywood film, Knight and Day) has been a treat to those who had left behind their brains at home and enjoyed the power-packed action and unmatchable dancing ability of Hritik, has been surely loved by the CM’s kids as well!

But unfortunately their Dad had again become a subject to be ridiculed on the social media, and many doubting his abilities to be capable enough to rule the city.

“Bang Bang achi lagne wale ko Desh kaise chalane de?’’ (How can we let someone, who likes the film Bang Bang rule the country’?), asked a curious yet a funny man on Twitter to Mr. Kejriwal. That’s harsh! Sadly, there is no place for an innocent movie critique in this country.

This is not the end, as the all rounder, Mr.Kejriwal has also offered scrutinized ‘filmi’ reviews on the latest releases including Ajay Devgan starrer Drishyam to serious –subjected, Massan starring Richha Chadha as well. Follow the upcoming Bollywood movie critique, who also holds the qualification of a nagging Thulla on Delhi’s roads of odd and even and the brand ambassador of ‘Anti –Modi’, to give his best analysis and ‘non- corrupted’ ratings on the movies you may think of watching in your free time.

Open up a newspaper and you are most likely to find a headline or a troll on Delhi’s Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal along with the Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi. It looks like Kejriwal is obsessed with Modi, for some unknown purpose. There are Chief Ministers of other twenty-eight states too, but their poor chemistry and arguments are the talk of the town, maybe because Delhi and Union government share a dependent bond, Delhi being the Capital state of our motherland.

Mr. Narendra Modi is an extraordinary man with dream and vision for India. Despite his poor English vocabulary, he has the skill to grasp the attention of foreign Ministers and tie up with them. He is an excellent orator who has impressed the entire world with all he has.

On the other hand, Arvind Kejriwal, too, is a much impressive personality. He jumped into politics and is currently working for the benefit of the citizens and trying his level best to keep all the promises made in the Manifesto.

But it is hard to understand why he is so engrossed with the PM. There is not a single interview of Mr. Kejriwal which does not feature Mr. Modi. Currently, the issue of Modi’s degree was overrated in the media due to the continuous involvement of Kejriwal. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) claims it has new documents to prove that Prime Minister Narendra Modi lied about graduating from the Delhi University and that a degree published by newspapers recently is "fake". The ruling BJP has said that the allegations are "too silly to respond to." Obviously, I don’t get what will happen to raise such an issue in a country where qualification of a minister is not significant. I get it, Kejriwal might be hurt when the MLA of his party was taken to bars for a fake degree but why create a havoc on this issue?

Even if Kejriwal is correct on this issue, the entire covering of the issue has set everything wrong for him. If he has to pin- point the flaws of others, especially the one holding such a reputed place, he must come with complete worthwhile evidence. There is no point passing such ordinary and insignificant statements. He needs to learn a bit of political professionalism.

There was again a tussle when Arvind Kejriwal and the Congress warned the Prime Minister against allowing Pakistani investigators to visit the Pathankot Air Force base have proved justified. The PM's "lack of knowledge of the intricacies of diplomacy," stands exposed, stated Anand Sharma of the Congress, after reports that the Pakistani team has concluded that India staged a deadly terror attack in January at the base, and then tried to "malign Pakistan" by stating that the six terrorists were from across the border. Once again, he pointed out his finger against Modi. Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said that the CM should tender for an unqualified apology to the Prime Minister for using words like the coward. In response, Manish Sisodia exclaimed, “You take back your actions, we will take back our words.” Only God knows when these unimportant quarrels are coming to an end.

These never-ending arguments are not just destroying the general environment of Delhi but are resorting to more confusion and enmity. Both of them should share a better and peaceful work environment, focusing on the betterment of the country rather than their own personal bothering. This is expected from every politician, bureaucrat and citizen but indisputably, it is most suitable for them.

Hopefully, this possessiveness will come to an end sometime and we will be able to see them working together, no matter how impossible this statement seems right now.

The “TROLLING 2.0” has been all set to break through the list of controversies and attain a position of being the top-most theme on Twitter. Those in support of ‘ TROLLKEJRIWAL’ party, again have got an opportunity to nag down the CM, who seems to be running wild over his spree of buffoonery and his ‘can’t-be-ignored’ statements on the mini-blogging site which has always catch an undue attention by the ‘Twitterati’.

As the world was giving their own set of thoughts and philosophies on how good or bad the triumph of ‘Brexit’ could be on the people of Britain and its economy, there comes our honorable Delhi’s Chief Minister to again steal away the glory and be entitled to the category of a ‘controversy’ drama queen, as he again used his limited –character speech delivering platform, Twitter, to let people know about his profound views and bow before his trembling political career.

The self-invitation to thriving sarcasm and becoming one of the most trolled Indians on social media, was when Mr. Kejriwal had used the podium called Twitter and uttered “ After UK referendum, Delhi will soon have a referendum on full statehood “

Keeping his words (which is rare to be seen), Mr.Kejriwal has already submitted a draft bill proposing full statehood for Delhi in May 2016!

For now, no one has the slightest of idea, what the proposed bill has sought to mention but it seems to have pushed up the adrenaline levels among the Anti-Kejriwal Twitter accounts, who have yet again trolled the CM, to an incredible extent for his disabled-humorous sense. However, just like his previous tweets relating to ‘anti-modi campaign’, film reviews and half-aware knowledge on current political scenarios, Kejriwal has again proved to be a potatohead and mistakenly-turned Politician by heading as a recent-buzz on Twitter, which has notched-up high since 25th june ( after his controversial tweet).

His latest statement has even made many doubt about whether his twitter account is actually ‘handled’ by him or is just fake and made the ‘anti-kejriwal’ feel insecure about their jobs and losing out the chances of trolling him down, as his official account seems to be doing an incredible work already and snatching away their limelight. “Sometimes it’s hard to believethis account is not parody account “was one such tweet grabbing the attention of many.

What could be the name of the campaign if Delhi had to hold such referendum? “#Dehxit #Dehxter? #Dehpart? “asked another troll targeting Kejriwal. Soon, after his tweet, Kejriwal seems to be the ‘butt of all the jokes’ one could have thought of, giving birth to a whole new format for ridiculous jokes including people asking referendum for whether AAP should exit the country, or a referendum on Kashmir South Mumbai or Bandra and also separation of groundnut from Bhelpuri (which is just too annoying for many) from all parts of India! (Hilarious!)

With his preposterous attempts to gather the elements of politics and entertainment together, even the comedians of greatest times might hail before him. Having an undeterred grit, he could even challenge Trump and ‘save’ America (as some Twitteratis suggests), with people howling ‘the Reign of the Imbecile’ in the country.

So hold on to your seats and grab your popcorn, as Kejriwal: The Funny Man, shall be back again onto your television sets, being flashed on every news channel and leave you ask for more reasons to lose out faith on Indian politics.

For past few weeks, the whole world is listening and seeing what is going on with UK and EU. Britain’s decision to lead a referendum and then winning the Brexit has shocked some, whereas, pleased some. Most of you might already know a lot about Brexit but here are a few facts you might not know:

A large number of voters at the referendum voted at their gut instinct. They weren’t able to choose any side mainly because, for many, this referendum had become a question not about what would happen to UK if it left, but about what kind of people voters wanted to be. The ‘Remainers’ believed in community, and tend to define it as broadly as Europe, or even more globally. They gave primacy to the need for countries to work together. They believed that ceding a certain amount of control leads to freedom, and feared that Britain outside EU would become a closed fortress. Whereas, the ‘Leavers’ feared that Britain inside EU lacked sovereignty and control over its destiny. They believe in community too, but also believe that seizing control of their governance is the only way to achieve what’s important for the country. Irrespective of the result, a big part of the country feels aggrieved.

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, said two days after UK voters decided they wanted to leave EU, that he’d like to start immediately on the strategy of Britain’s exit. Foreign ministers from EU’s six founding countries met in Berlin to discuss the speed and strategy of Britain’s exit. According to Juncker, it didn’t made any sense to wait until October to try and negotiate the terms of their departure, since the Britons already made a decision to leave in the referendum.

A lot of economists and analysts at the UK treasury, the IMF, the OECD, and the Institute for Fiscal Studies, among other institutions strongly believed and still think that leaving EU would harm the British Economy mainly because of trade. A far larger share of the UK’s exports go to the EU than vice versa. Leaving the EU’s free-trade block puts a big chunk of these goods and services at risk, were tariffs or other barriers to be imposed on them. Many European leaders don’t seem keen to cut friendly deals with a post-Brexit Britain. From Banks to Car-makers, many multinational businesses say that Brexit would put their jobs at risk.

Britain’s trading options with EU after Brexit. One option would be EEA membership—the so-called Norway option—which would give Britain trade with the EU almost as unfettered as it has now. Another option might be a more limited set of bilateral agreements, like those agreed between Switzerland and the EU. Other option could be a free trade agreement such as those that the EU has with South Korea or South Africa. Most trade with the EU would be tariff-free, but the big barriers to trade caused by “behind the scenes” protectionism—discrimination against foreign companies’ bids for public contracts, for example—would go largely untackled. And finally, the UK could trade with the EU under World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules in order to regain as much sovereignty as possible.

Curb on immigration after Brexit completely depends upon the trade arrangement Britain will negotiate with the EU. EEA membership would require Britain to remain open to immigrants from the EU, as would a Swiss-type agreement. As to curb immigration being a big reason for leaving the EU, it seems unlikely that Britain would opt for either of these two arrangements. On the other side the EU would probably insist a customs union with Britain that will come at the price of continued free movement, which is highly unlikely, therefore if Britain were to opt for a free trade agreement it might have some scope to control immigration from the EU. The only situation in which Britain would certainly be free to limit immigration is if it opted to trade under WTO rules, which would maximise economically damaging trade barriers with the EU. Britain would face an invidious choice: damage its economy by leaving the single market entirely, or allow free movement to continue.

Some regions will have more to lose from Brexit than others. Around 40 per cent of the EU’s budget is used to spend on developing the infrastructure and industries of the Union’s poorer regions. If Britain after leaving the EU, fails to agree a free trade deal in goods, the northeast and other manufacturing regions would face EU tariffs, weakening their economies. Meanwhile, if Britain made a deal on goods trade with the EU but no services agreement is struck, London would be more badly hit, because 8 per cent of London’s private sector activity comprises export of services, largely financial, to the EU.

More than two and a half million people have signed a petition demanding a second EU referendum after an MP called for Parliament to refuse to ratify Brexit. Most Brexit voters are regretting after they voted Britain out of EU. According to Professor Vernon Bogdanor, a prominent constitutional expert, a second referendum is “highly unlikely”. He also told The Telegraph that he doesn’t thinks that EU might want to bargain any further, they will take the already cast vote to be final.

Brexit might as well lead to Scoxit. It is not necessary, but it is possible, as Nicola Sturgeon, the SNP leader, had promised another referendum if Britain voted to leave the EU against the wishes of Scots. But would Scots really want an EU border with their largest trade partner, England? After four decades of EU membership, Britain’s formal relationships with the rest of Europe are governed by a tangle of treaties, institutions and laws. The reach of the EU into British life is so far-reaching that Brexit would require a renegotiation of most of Britain’s international obligations. A new trade agreement would have to be signed with the EU—and more than 50 with other countries outside Europe, to make up for those annulled by Brexit. So Scotland might—probably against its economic interest—leave the UK, which would lead to another round of political and economic turmoil.

Although, Brexit’s affect on Britain are certainly quite unsung at the moment, we really hope these facts will aid to a better understanding of Brexit. We would really like to know what you think about these, please tell us in the comments below.

According to the latest report from Reuters News Agency, three suspected ISIS suicide bombers blew themselves up in Istanbul's main international airport on Tuesday, killing 36 people and wounding close to 150. According to Turkey's Prime Minister Binali Yildirim, it appears the attack was carried out by Islamic State/ ISIS militants. It is clear the attackers were trying to target international travelers because Istanbul Atatürk Airport is one of the biggest and the third busiest airports in Europe and attacking this airport will lead to causality at an international level.

Speaking to reporters the Turkish Prime Minster Binali Yildirim said “It became clear with this incident again that terrorism is a global threat. This attack, targeting innocent people is a vile, planned terrorist act." He further added by saying "There is initial evidence that each of the three suicide bombers blew themselves up after opening fire." This is a common tactic used by suicide bombers because if one of them starts shooting the crowd will run towards the exits in great numbers making it possible to inflict mass causality.

The majority of killed and wounded so far have been Turkish nationals but there is a strong possibility that the dead and wounded could include foreign nationals. Again the attack was executed in the same manner as Brussels Airport terror strike which was again carried out by Islamic State suicide bombers back in April this year. Turkey's Islamist President Tayyip Erdogan said in a statement "The attack, which took place during the holy month of Ramadan, shows that terrorism strikes with no regard for faith and values," and "The bombs that exploded in Istanbul today could have gone off at any airport in any city around the world."

So far no one has claimed responsibility for this latest attack but it has all the hallmarks of ISIS who are known for their brutal tactics. World leaders including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi strongly condemned this attack. The PM posted the following on his official twitter handle “Attack in Istanbul is inhuman & horrific. I condemn it strongly. My thoughts are with bereaved families. May the injured recover quickly.”

The White House has witnessed the presence of one of the most influential people of the World so far. But, there is a different story attached to it too. There have been various cases of extra marital affairs by different Presidents. Feeling shocked!! Let us check a few examples ourselves, and know it right to believe this difficult- to- digest fact.

THOMAS JEFFERSON WITH SALLY HEMINGS

Thomas Jefferson (April 13 [O.S. April 2] 1743 – July 4, 1826) was an American Founding Father who was the principal author of the Declaration of Independence (1776). He was elected the second Vice President of the United States (1797–1801 and in 1800 was elected the third President (1801–09). Jefferson was a proponent of democracy, republicanism, and individual rights, which motivated American colonists to break from Great Britain and form a new nation. He produced formative documents and decisions at both the state and national level. Sally Hemings was the enslaved woman of the President who is believed to be in a long extra marital relationship and six children with him, four of whom survived.

GROVER CLEVELAND

Grover Cleveland was the 22nd and 24th President of the USA. He was the first man to serve as the President for two consecutive terms. Cleveland was attracted by a 38 year old woman, Maria Halpin, who was working as a sales clerk at a department store in Buffalo. He was courting Halpin for several months and finally after continuous persistent efforts, they fixed a date. What happened next would now be called as a date rape, Cleveland assaulted Halpin and threatened her to dire consequences. After six weeks, the lady discovered her pregnancy and this was the illegitimate son of the President.

WARREN HARDING WITH CARRIE PHILLIPS AND NAN BRITTON

Caroline ‘Carrie’ Phillips was the mistress of Warren Harding, the 29th President of United States. After the affair came to light, Florence Harding, wife of the President felt betrayed and exclaimed that this was not the first time she discovered her husband’s infidelity. To separate the two lovers and allow time for the respective marriages to be reconciled, the Phillips family returned to Europe, leaving the Hardings in Marion. The affair ended when Phillips blackmailed Harding during the senator’s run for office. She is the only woman to have successfully blackmailed a major US political party.

He is believed to have another affair with Nan Britton. Her father, Dr. Samuel H. Britton, met the President and informed him about her daughter’s infatuation towards him. Harding met her, and claimed that somebody she would meet the man of her dreams. At that point of time, Harding was already involved in a passionate affair with Carrie Phillips. After she graduated from High school, Britton moved to New York City where she began intimate relationship with Harding.

Following Harding’s death, Britton wrote a book, The President’s Daughter, published in 1928. This book featured the story of their daughter and she got it published to earn money to raise her child.

FRANKLIN ROOSEVELT WITH LUCY MERCER

Lucy Page Mercer Rutherford is an American woman best known for her affair with President Roosevelt. In his book “Franklin & Lucy: President Roosevelt, Mrs. Rutherfurd and the Other Remarkable Women in His life”, Joseph E. Persico suggests that the affair between Franklin Roosevelt and Lucy Mercer, which was supposed to have ended in 1918, resumed even sooner than most scholars believed — indeed, that it may never have ended at all.

She and Franklin probably became intimate in 1916, but their affair came to light to the public at large in 1918, when Eleanor, unpacking for her husband, who had just returned from England with the flu, discovered a bundle of incriminating letters.

DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER WITH KAY SUMMERSBY

Kay Summersby (23 November 1908 – 20 January 1975) was a member of the British Mechanised Transport Corps during World War II, who served as chauffeur to Supreme Commander Allied Expeditionary Force Dwight D. Eisenhower, later as his secretary. The President and the lady came extremely close during the warfare. Some later writers spread the rumours that they had intimate relationship too, but those who them well denied it clearly.

JOHN F.KENNEDY WITH MARILYN MONROOE

It might be possible that Kennedy and Marilyn Monroe didn’t have full- fledged affair, but they would have got intimate at least once. According to Marilyn Monroe's biographer Donald Spoto, Marilyn Monroe called her personal masseur, the actor Ralph Roberts, from the same bedroom where JFK was staying at Bing Crosby's house. Later at an interview, Spoto himself verified that Monroe has discussed about her sexual relationships with him.

She sung the traditional birthday song for the President in a ceremony 10 days before his birthday saying, “Happy Birthday Mr. President” for which the President was allured and said, “I can now retire from politics after having had Happy Birthday sung to me in such a sweet, wholesome way.”

Fitzgerald initially started as a secretary of George Bush and consequently became a lot more. She is called the ‘other wife’ or ‘office wife’ of the President. Rumours about them went up and down, but their affair is a sure shot news.

The affair of Clinton was like the show stopper in the series of affairs. It was unusually famous and popular amongst all.

In 1995, Monika Lewinsky, a graduate of Lewis and Clark College was hired as an intern in the White House in Clinton’s first term and was later retained as an employee of White House office of Legislative Affairs. While working at the White House, she began her personal relationship with Clinton, which she later confided to a friend and Defence Department co- worker Linda Tripp, who secretly recorded their conversation.

A term Lewinsky scandal was coined as the American political sex scandal that came to light in 1998, describing the sexual relationship between the two. In his speech, Clinton declined that there is no such relationship and the allegations are false. President Clinton was held in civil contempt of court by Judge Susan Webber Wright for giving misleading testimony in the Paula Jones case regarding Lewinsky and was also fined $90000 by Wright. His license to practice law was suspended in Arkansas for five years and later by the United States Supreme Court.

History has a hoard store of mysteries and astonishing myths that keep surfacing from time to time. Some of them seem so unbelievable, but history also provides evidences in wondrous ways. One of such astonishing thing that I’m going to discuss here is about the Poison Damsels or Vish Kanya. Sounds weird, right? But apparently the mention of this subject has surfaced to our day today lives innumerable times in different ways. The most recent was, that in the tribal community and also some other communities of Jharkhand and Chhatisgarh, was found that these so called ‘Vish Kanya’ still exist today and that these girls make it a mission of their life to carry out this tradition unlike some other traditional practices which gradually subjected to extinction.

India seems to have a long tradition of belief in poison damsels. We have found evidences of it in literature, folklore stories and myths. Vish Kanya or Poison Damsels were described to be young, beautiful women reportedly used as assassins, often against powerful enemies, during the times of Ancient Indian Subcontinent. To consume poison in their meals is told to be normal, they had it in breakfast, in lunch and even in dinner. It was believed that it became impossible to sleep without the consumption of venom. Surely, a lot of you must have heard about it from your grandparents and read in stories that these extremely beautiful enticing maidens could breathe poison, venom flowed in their veins and that a mere touch of theirs could be as dangerous as an instant death. Dr. J. Jamshedji Modi in his article “The Story of Alexander the Great and the Poison-Damsel of India. A Trace of it in Firdousi’s Shah Nameh” mentions of the types of poison damsels that have been recorded in various Indian and Persian writings. The types mentioned are:

“A poison-damsel, in the original sense of the word seems to mean a damsel who does harm deceitfully in some way or other to another person.”

“She is one, born under an inauspicious configuration or conjugation of planets. So, she does harm to one who marries her. It is this view, that seems to have led, and even now seems to lead, many Indian parents to resort to an astrologer to ascertain, whether the planets, under the influence of which their children are born, are of the same conjunction or not. The happiness or otherwise of marriage depends upon that.”

“A damsel who is, in some way or other, so much poisoned or infected with a disease, that she is likely to convey her poison or infectious disease to the person, who has intercourse with her or who comes into some form of close contact with her, and to bring about his death. A woman infected with a venereal disease is a poison-damsel of this kind.”

“A damsel who has actually saturated her body with gradual doses of poison, and who, therefore, is in a state believed to be likely to convey the poison of her body, so saturated, to another person who comes into contact with her.”

“A damsel who treacherously captivates the heart of a person, and then actually gives him some poison in food or drink.”

Existence in contemporary times

The recent discovery of existing poison damsels in Jharkhand and Chhatisgarh has led to various questions such as, even if these people consume venom, how is it that they survive the venom’s effect and become immune to it whereas a mere drop can lead to the death of even a huge elephant. It is of questionable nature to think alone that can these poison damsels actually exist among us even today. Well, a recent study conducted by a News TV Channel shows that they do live among us. Also the study shows existence of poison man as well. In the jungles of Jharkhand and Chhatisgarh women are found to be using poison to fight off evil. Evil that takes the form of dark criminal minds that prey on their helplessness and take advantage of the situation. These women are also called the Snake women of the Santhal parganas, who attack intruders and threaten them with venom of snakes. These girls and women actually don’t consume venom like it used to be traditionally, instead carry it around to protect themselves. The venom they carry is so effective that death comes almost instant. These young girls have to spend almost the entire day in the dense jungles either to collect firewood or leaves. The jungles are full of wild animals who could attack them at any time and there will be no one around to even help them, that is why they stick to measures as these, carrying around sharp pointed instruments loaded with snake poison, securely hiding them in their clothes either around their waist or in the form of amulets around the upper arms or neck.

History and Origin

Origin of poison damsels dates back to centuries earlier. We’ve heard in folklores and stories that Kings in ancient times used to select young girls when they were just babies to raise them up as Poison Maidens. So a carefully crafted diet of poison and antidote were given from a very young age. This practice is also called Mithridatism after the Greek Emperor Mithridates VI of Pontus, who practiced it to protect himself from enemies. Evidences of practice of Poison girls in India have been found in literary works of Chanakya, like in Arthasastra, in books, Sukasaptati, Chanakya’s Chant, a Latin work called Secretum Secretorum. The story of attack on Alexander the Great by sending him a beautiful maiden(which in fact was a poison maiden) by an Indian King is popular. There are various versions of the story, three of them seemingly more authentic, in which a maiden is sent to Alexander as a gift, he is at once enticed by the beauty and wants to have her but the original motive behind sending her is seen through by Aristotle or another minister and Alexander is saved and the girl is killed. According to the historians, while raising these girls, many would not survive, those that did were immune to other poisons and their body fluids would be poisonous to others; sexual contact would thus be lethal to other humans. There also exists a myth that says a Visha Kanya can cause instant death with just a touch.

Current Practioners

The study conducted by the news channel showed, there were people some of which openly declared being a poison man or woman and some who thought it was better to remain concealed. Some among them who opened up were Peelu Ram and Ashok of Jashpur, Chhatisgarh etc., other were women who opened up but didn’t disclose their name. They also made it clear that this practice was still being carried on not for any addiction or drug purpose, but only to preserve their tradition which is hundreds of centuries old and also want to pass it on to their younger generations. Even Historians like Santosh Panday and C.V. Daniel asserted that these people who are trying to preserve their traditions is a good thing.

How its done

For most people though (as it was my first question too) it was hard to believe as to how this practice was still carried on. How did the consumption of venom not kill them? Upon lots of queries these people have explained that since directly consuming the venom can burn out their veins and esophagus, so most of them dried the venom, churned it into powder and then consumed it little by little, and gradually when their system gets adapted they can even drink the venom directly and nothing would happen to them.

Similar practices from around the globe

This practice isn’t just present in India, but in other countries as well. China being the most popular, but there they eat snakes not the venom alone, as they believe snake has medicinal properties which can control and cure blood pressure and heart diseases. Also an American scientist, Tim Freddie has researched upon the medicinal properties of venom and is trying to create an anti-venom vaccine, in the process of which he has bitten himself altogether 160 times by various dangerous snakes. He said it burns in his skin for a moment and there is little swelling around the bitten part, but they soon disappear since his body has also become immune to the snake poison.

Existence of people like these in one way seems unimaginable in modern days, but evidences like these leave you speechless. They are no less than super people with super capability, except for a fact that, in ancient times they existed to safeguard and protect the Kings and today they exist to protect and safeguard their traditions.

The rigorous adoption law makes it way more difficult for a single father, in India

Creating a bridge of norms, the law guiding the adoption procedure in India, has significantly made it difficult to carry on the noble caus of aboption for a single parent, specifically a male. The adoption law is under the Hindu Adoption and Maintenance Act of 1956. Under this act, a single parent or married couple is not permitted to adopt more than one child of the same sex. Foreign citizens, NRIs, and those Indian nationals who are Muslims, Parsis, Christians or Jews are subject to the Guardian and Wards Act of 1890. Under this act, the adoptive parent is only the guardian of the child until she reaches 18 years of age. Also, the eligibility criteria for this nobility are that an adoptive parent should be medically fit and financially able to care for a child. A person wishing to adopt a child must be at least 21 years old. There is no legal upper age limit for parents but most adoptive agencies set their own benchmarks with regard to age. For a child who is less than a year old, the adoptive parents can have a maximum combined age of 90 years. Also, neither of the parent must be older than 45 years. And many such guidelines are must to be adhered under this law.

But, Tusshar Kapoor found a whole new way to embark the journey of a single father

The infamous Bollywood actor known for his comedy genre in Hindi movies, from Golmaal to Kya Super kool hain hum, has turned out to be an inspiration to all the Indian men, who long to have a child of their own and not just confined to practice of being married to have a child. Tushar has just opened up the third gate to those who wish to enjoy the experience of single parenthood, being a male. “Parenthood is now an option for many who choose to be single parents” says the proud father of a baby boy, who is named ‘Laksshya’.

In the league of Sharukh khan and Aamir khan who have opted for Surrogacy, Tusshar kapoor seemed to be extremely elated at the glance of his baby boy, who is a gift of the process of surrogacy using IVF (In Vitro Fertilization) at Jaslok Hospital in Mumbai. Dr Firuza Parikh, Director of IVF and Genetics at the Jaslok Hospital and Research Centre, who led the treatment said, “I am impressed with Tusshar’s determination to be a father. He maintained a keen interest in the baby’s health at every stage. He will surely be a sensitive and nurturing parent. Recently, we have had many single men and women approved for parenthood. As a public figure, Tusshar’s brave and bold decision will open the field of assisted reproduction making it accessible to not just single parents, but also to many who fervently desire to have a baby” in her talk with a national daily.

An in-flight chat with Prakash Jha, had sown the seeds to the thought of trying Surrogacy

Not many know that it was director Prakash Jha who enlightened and encouraged Tusshar about the latest medical process. Happy to finally realize his dream of becoming a father, Tusshar said, “Last year, I went to Tirupati temple. I happened to meet director Prakash Jha. We were in the same flight. He told me about this procedure (IVF) and how one could be a single parent using the same. He also introduced me to a family who had used surrogacy to have a baby. I felt inspired and decided to go in for the same.”

The actor also said that he was in a hurry to become a parent. “I will be 40 this year and that is why I went ahead with what was told to me and I am happy that I took the right decision. My family is complete now,” said Tusshar.

Newly become aunt Ekta Kapoor couldn't hold her joyfulness for long and took to the Twitter to share the first picture of ‘Laksshya’ with his grandfather and veteran actor Jeetendra ‘who is seen kissing the forehead’ and showering blessing on his first grandchild. Supportive to their son’s courageous decision, the proud grandparents, Jeetendra and wife Shobha Kapoor are quite enthusiastic to welcome the youngest kapoor member to their family and assuring that he‘ll get the ‘best father’ as Tusshar has always been a dotting son to them.

The bold step to embrace parenthood taken by Tusshar Kapoor shall surely bring about a change in the societal-thoughts on single-parenthood, if not reforms in the present rigid adoption law in India.

Delhi University’s first cut off list is out this Wednesday, i.e., 29 June, 2016 beginning the cycle of admission process and a big run for candidates to grab a seat out of the total 2.5Lakh applications submitted.

Though no college has kept its cut off 100 percent from last year, yet the cut off percentages are soaring higher. Ramjas College, a prominent and the oldest college of North campus, has the highest cut off demanding 99.25 for B.com( Hons), 98.75 for B.Com and 98.5 for Economics Hons.

Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC), the most sought- after college for Commerce and Economics in the country, has a cut off percentage of 98% for B. Com hons which has shot up a bit from last year where the cut off was 97.375. The cut- off for Economics hons has sticked the same as before, 98.25.

Hansraj College has maintained fairly same cut offs as the previous year.

Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Khalsa College has raised its cut off as compared to last year, with 99% for B.Sc in Electronics.

Miranda College has also kept its cut off almost same, highest being 97.75 in Economics Hons and 97.50 in English Hons.

The first cut offs are drastically soaring higher annually, shattering the hopes of many students who dream of DU. Crossing 90% is so normal that the marks have lost their value. More seats must be made available and the students must be counselled properly not to take it to their hearts and handle it calmly, after all this is not the end of your life. Many colleges soar up the first cut- offs intentionally, and then get back to normal in the subsequent cut- off lists.

It is the impact of rising cut- off list that students have started to accept the stark reality and are resorting to other colleges as well via entrance or merit. This is a wise decision, because there are many colleges at par with DU, but people neglect it out of lack of awareness or guidance.

This year, the cut offs are expected to be closed even earlier as a consequence of more students in the 90+ list in the Best Four Subjects (BFS). Let us see what happens in the next lists. Will it bring relief for the candidates or break their hopes immensely? This is tough to answer but indisputably, rejections are deemed to be more than selections.

Deadly Attack in Dhaka, Bangladesh

On the last Friday of Ramadan, some nine terrorists attacked a Spanish restaurant, Holey Artisan Bakery, by opening fire and taking around 30 people hostage, news agencies quoted. The terrorists opened fire around 9.20 PM shouting ‘Allah Hu Akbar’ and closed the doors of the restaurant. Two Italian nationals have been killed as well as one police chief, Muhammad Salauddin of a Gulshan local police station. One more police personnel is injured and getting medical treatment in the local hospital.

Shooting in Dhaka Restaurant:

The attack was fully organized as the militants knew that on Friday there were a lot of people in and around that restaurant area. They are reported to have done recce of the place as that diplomatic place is under stringent security all the time. This is a security lapse by both the intelligence and local police. Rapid Action Force of Bangladesh (RAB) has been deployed in the diplomatic zone of Dhaka.

RAB Deployed:

The chief of the elite anti-crime force, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), informed reporters Friday night that they were working to save the lives of the people trapped inside the restaurant. Some foreigners are believed to be among the hostages. One driver who was present at the gate was shot in the neck. The driver is getting medical treatment.

Government has blocked live telecast of the current situation so as to procrastinate any untoward incidence. It is yet to ascertain, which terrorist organization these terrorist belong to. The purpose of the attack is not clear as the RAB or the local police are yet to establish connection with the terrorists holding up in the restaurant. It is reported that there may be around 60 people taken hostage as the capacity of the restaurant is around 100. This restaurant is an open Spanish restaurant.

Of late, there has been numerous attacks on Hindu nationals of Bangladesh and even this morning a Hindu priest was hacked to death by local extremists. The government has denied the hands of ISIS in any of the attacks happened in the recent past. Bangladeshi government has arrested around 8000 people against the recent attacks on the Hindu nationals.

Barack Obama has been briefed on the situation and Indian foreign office is in constant touch of the situation. Indian foreign office has confirmed that no Indian diplomats are in danger. "We have accounted for all Americans working for the chief of mission authority" in Dhaka, John Kirby, a State Department spokesman said. He called the situation "fluid." In the holy month of Muslims, a lot of deadly attacks have been reported. People have not come out of the shock of Istanbul attack and this attack in Dhaka has shaken everyone once again.

AAP - Playing a Dangerous Politics

Inciting the Incited

Our country, right from north to south is turning intolerant and terrorist-like along with political lunatics that are making the most out of such situations. A couple of days back 11 ISIS terrorists were caught from Hyderabad and further investigation is still on. They were planning to throw beef in Hindu temples in the area, in order to disturb the harmony of the place. The heat of the matter was not yet doused and our own beloved Delhi’s ruling party rose in the news again for plotting to create a riot like situation in the Punjab ahead of the state election next year.

The accused Vijay Kumar who is caught for desecrating the Qoran told the Sangrur police that he did it at the behest of Naresh Yadav, AAP MLA from Mehrauli, South Delhi area who offered him RS. 1 Crore to carry out the misdeeds. Earlier, the police had arrested three men — Vijay Kumar, Nand Kishore Goldy and Gaurav — who have reportedly confessed as reported in the Indian Express.

Vijay Kumar wanted to take the revenge of Pathankot incident and he said that he hated Pakistan. Naresh Yadav may have got to know about his intentions and leveraged the situation. “Vijay Kumar has stated that in Malerkotla, he was offered Rs 1 Crore for desecrating pages of Quran and throwing them near a drain on Khanna Road. Their plan was also to desecrate a Hindu holy book next,” said The Hindu. Naresh Yadav is booked for inciting riots in Punjab. The news came ahead of the three day Punjab visit of CM Arvind Kejriwal. Punjab’s fight against drug menace and similar desecration cases were reported earlier as well. Stop inciting the incited.

Look Back Before You Speak:

BJP and Congress are blamed for anything and everything. It is either a conspiracy or a political vendetta. A couple of AAP MLAs were arrested in 2015 for inciting riots.

Aam Aadmi Party lawmaker Akhilesh Tripathi was held in a 2013 case of rioting and criminal intimidation and sent to judicial custody for two days on November 26, 2015 by a Delhi court.

AAP MLA Mahendra Yadav was arrested for rioting, assaulting government official in January 29 2016.

Mr. CM says on Dadri incidence, ‘BJP should not spread hatred for political gains’. What a paradox!

Dirty and Dangerous Politics

“Anti-national agenda” supporting Khalistani ideologue, and accepting funds from Sikh separatists staying across the globe have thrown Punjabi’s into an uproar against the controversial Aam Aadm Party as said by Sukhpal Singh Khaira, a suspended AAP MLA. With the intention of fomenting trouble in the state, struggling to get out a decade old intoxication, AAP has passively been supporting the Khalistani movement. Altogether, 35000 terrorism afflicted families were to protest and stop his cavalcade to enter the state of Punjab.

Arvind Kejriwal has been speaking about the Sikh riots ever since he started sitting on Dharnas. He played a very tricky and mean role all these years.

Indian Mirror mentions “How articulately Arvind Kejriwal manipulates the reality can be judged during his hunger strike as Delhi CM in 2014. He had presented the wrong facts in media and the truth was entirely different.” He said that Delhi police is acting on center’s instructions and had blocked the toilets, though on camera his supporters were caught using the toilets. He blamed the police for removing tea stalls and drinking water. All his lies were caught on camera. He is best known for accusing and when caught runs away from the scene or does not talk about that after that. These smaller incidents talk volumes about his intentions.

On the 31st anniversary of India’s former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s assassination, Kejriwal issued a cheque of Rs. Five lakh to the victim of deadliest carnage in Sikh history. This was a joke as the victims got Rs. Five lakh after 31 years of the incidence, pittance. This shows he was using the matter to gain political mileage.

Lack of Proper Minister-in-Law: No Legal Consultation

All the educated ones have been suspended or ousted. There is literally no one to give them proper suggestion what to do and what not to do. The day Britain announced its separation from EU after the referendum, Arvind Kejriwal demanded Brexit like referendum in Delhi. Either he does not know or he ignores where he is trying to drag India to. Referendum is unconstitutional and cannot be held. If he believes in referendum, then why didn’t he demand referendum for Ram Mandir issue in UP or many such other issues? It is not only AAP that does all this, all the parties across India are guilty of this sort of things. But AAP riding on Anna Hazare’s back convinced the people of Delhi and India that he is not a politician, he is somebody who wants to get Delhi rid of corruption and bring prosperity to the state. Later on, when he realizes that he has power, he started to dream of a PM position. He directly targets PM Narendra Modi. He became so excited that he forgot the dignity of CM’s position and used bad language while speaking about the PM of the nation.

He has not spared Media people either. There is this full page article by two NDTV journalists who were thrashed by Mr. CM, and they started doing investigative journalism. They brought the nexus of extracting money from people looking for government positions, in light. His souring party funds is always a point of concern for the people of India as well as for the other political parties. AAP or any other party for that matter should fight for basic needs like education, health and sanitation curbing poverty and all, not the way AAP is behaving. It is dangerous for the country.

For most people who live in Delhi NCR Connaught Place or colloquially called CP is one such hangout which all of them are familiar with. This place has been the center of Delhi since 1933 when it was constructed, but enough of history. Fact is one could spend hours just walking around and maybe do some shopping and yes eating at many restaurants and road side food stalls where you can enjoy Aloo chaat, Bhel Puri etc.

Ask anyone who was born in this city and they will regale tales of childhood memories and this was the place for couples to hangout because every means of entertainment necessary was and still available in this place. From buying cheap cloths to cheap watches and other electronic gadgets to watch movies and enjoy a variety of food items both cheap and expensive.

If you are in Delhi do not fail to visit CP and just walk around and you will find people of all walks of life and races, but this is the only place in this sprawling metropolis where you will find practically all types of cuisines.

Yes things have changed over the years and many new Uber restaurants have opened up but some of these old joints will always be near and dear to my heart.

Here are some of my favorites eating joints from my past and I still visit some of them when I am there, though it is now far and between.

United Coffee House

This place is usually frequented by retired people to reminisce the good old days but it also attracts a lot of other crowds mostly young, particularly students. Yes it is not a very hip place but the food is good and the cost is affordable. I still remember watching movie at Plaza Theater and enjoying coffee and snacks with friends at this place.

DPauls

Janpath is the place where you could buy a cheap shirt or jacket or any piece clothing for all sizes and gender. But if you are hungry then there is nothing like Dpauls. Here you will get cold coffee and burgers veg and non vej, sandwiches and in winter hot tomato soup with bread crumbs.

Keventers

All I can think about is the cold milk served in chocolate, vanilla and strawberry and butterscotch flavor. Plus some very nice sandwiches and varieties of patties can be a very filling experience and it is worth a trip every time I go there.

Nirula’s

Now this was the “it and hip” joint when I was growing up in the eighties and nineties. Bit expensive even then but I am going to mention it because I and my family loved it. Anyway this was one of the few places which served Pizza’s and French fries back then before the advent of Pizza hut and McDonalds. Who can forget their hot chocolate fudge ice cream?

Kake Da Hotel

Another iconic eating place in CP and one of the busiest places during lunch and dinner time is the famous Kake Da Hotel. Here one would get to eat some of the best North Indian dishes. Its chicken dishes are very popular and also has excellent paneer dishes.

Wenger’s

Last but not least no trip to CP will be complete without eating desert at Wenger’s. Though this is not a restaurant but I have some of the fondest memories of this place and a must visit. My father used to get cakes and pastries from this place during Christmas and other occasions like birthday’s and anniversary. This place can be called a guilty pleasure for me and my family and all those people I personally introduced to this place

Delhi is famous for many things and food has always topped the charts because for centuries this city has been the epicenter of various cultures bringing their varied culinary skills here thus making it the center for food revolution. Just visit Old Delhi and you will find all sorts of cuisines to enthrall your palate. This is one place where you will find all sorts of vegetarian and non vegetarian dishes made by people who have lived in the old city for generations.

And it is these very people who are still following age old methods to cook mouth watering dishes and Faagio is not only going to be a food search engine giving information about restaurants, they will also talk about history and the particular specialty a restaurant serves. This application is going to be the one stop guide for all foodie who live and visit this historical city.

One would find information about eating joints which are hugely popular in certain part of the city which many may have not even heard of. You will find about places hidden in the narrow alleys of Delhi where if you just take one wrong turn you will miss the place entirely. And it these eating spots which many visit with families to reminisce about old time.

Just thinking about Karim’s of old Delhi, Paranthe Wali Gali and Ghantewala who are probably the oldest and still functioning traditional sweet makers in Delhi will make any Delhite stomach growl. Just near Ghantewala is the famous Amritsari Lassi Wala who makes the creamiest butter milk which one can drink to fight the heat or to calm your tummy after you had some spicy food.

But fret not if this is not your coffee one would also find McDonalds, Pizza Hut etc but to visit this place and not enjoy authentic delicacies is a crime in itself. However it is understandable if you are apprehensive because this place is not known for its ambience and even people who live in other parts of Delhi can suffer from cultural shock when they come here. But this is still the place in this city to enjoy the most authentic dishes at a very reasonable cost.

Karol Bagh is one of the oldest colonies in Delhi NCR and for years the center for shopping and also a place people could simply visit to enjoy food. Here you will find shops and restaurants which have been passed from one generation to the next and it is one of the last vestiges of a bygone era of this city.

When my father came to Delhi in 1968, Karol Bagh was the place where he stayed and he would often regale and reminisce about old times and how he and some of old friends and colleagues would enjoy a cup of coffee in the evening.

Situated in central Delhi and very near to the old city of Chandni Chowk, Karol Bagh is full of history and nostalgia. All one has to do is take a walk at Ajmal Khan Road & Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan road and one can see the symbiosis of old and new.

But enough about history, time to talk about food and some of the famous restaurants in this area.

This place is one of the last reserves in Delhi where one can eat great food at a reasonable price.

Now many of the restaurants I am going to write about are not known for their ambience but the food served here is one of the best in Delhi.

SO DO NOT BE SQUEAMISH! If you are their Just enjoy.

Roshan de Kulfi

Anyone who has lived in this city and visited Karol Bagh must have had the famous Kulfi Faluda at Roshan de Kulfi. But that is not the end of it, this place also serves eclectic varieties of food like chhole bhaturas and other snacks. One may have to wait for while before they can place an order for the Kulfi’s on a busy day but then this place is mostly busy.

Frontier Restaurant

If you ever feel like eating authentic North Indian vegetarian food then this should be on your bucket list because they only use pure Ghee to make all their dishes which can be a huge problem for your cholesterol. But as my father would say “you live only once” so there is nothing wrong in indulging once in a while.

Changezi

People will swear by the Chicken Dishes served in this place and is known for its Tandoori Chicken and Mutton Korma. Just walk by this place and one can smell the aroma which forces people towards it like the sirens of Greek mythology. Only difference once you had your fill you get to leave.

Ganash Restaurant

If you want to eat fish then this is one of the few restaurants in Delhi NCR where you will get very delicious Fish Fry and Fish Tandoori served with green chutney. Also you will get egg pakora and pretty decent Kababs. Not much for ambiance but it more than compensates for the food one gets to eat here.

Punjab Sweet Corner

This place has some of the best snacks one could eat and often people throng to this place for quick bite. One can have variety of food items from Golgappa chaat and Dahi Bhalla to stuffed Paranthas of Aloo (potato) or Paneer (Cottage cheese). Also one can enjoy grilled sandwich burgers and chowmein making this place a kind of Indian version of fast food.

Om Corner Chhole Bhature

The name itself is dead giveaway but has to be mentioned because they kind of live up to the expectation of the food served in this place. The Bhature’s are very crisp and I think they use premium oil to fry them.

Other honorable mentions are Khurana Restaurant, Karim’s, Shudh & Prem Dhaba. Now there are several places one can grab a quick bite like Mcdee, Pizza Hut & KFC but something about the places which I used to visit every time we went for shopping just makes me happy.

Soon a new app will be launched called Faagio and it will not only talk about listings of restaurants but also bit about history. For the time being if you are in Karol Bagh, do try these places, they are one of a Kind.

Non-Disclaimer

If the characters, places and events of this allegorical short story remind you of real life people and happenings, let me assure you, dear reader, they were meant to.

First there was intrusion by treachery by a savage warmonger of the wilderness (hereinafter known as Ughs for his savagery and ugly ways), followed by breaking into the estate and a body blow which stunned the pious object of attack (Goody) who was not in the least prepared for it, having never even dreamt that such barbarism existed on earth. Then slow poison was injected for long periods of time with alarming regularity. Self esteem was sought to be crushed by brutal dishonoring of all that was loved and worshipped; demolition and desecration of symbols of faith; terror struck at noble hearts pining for spiritual solace ... Ughs captured some children on the estate and gave them his own identity just as he would brand cattle and appropriate them as his own property. After a long period of life in captivity, the children soon forgot their original identity and began identifying themselves with Ughs.

One day Ughs was joined in his black deeds by a rival philanderer (Baddy) from the same wilderness as the former, with a different shade of the same kill-and-loot culture. Being, however, more organized in his sinister deeds, Baddy subjugated not only Goody but also Ughs, and proclaimed himself the lord and master of the estate which he systematically stripped off its fabulous riches. With Goody still reeling under the body blow from Ughs, Baddy took upon himself the onerous task of teaching the former how to save his soul by a mere switching of faith, calling him all the while a sinner.

One day Baddy received devastating news from home about his own house being set upon fire by a much bigger thug. Before rushing home to save his house, he decided to widen the gulf between Goody and Ughs lest they should come together and gang up against him some day in the future.

Then came the unkindest cut of them all. In a classic case of the burglar crying blue murder on being caught, Ughs donned the mantle of the innocent victim and charged Goody of planning to persecute him and demanded his "due share" of the estate. Baddy was only happy to oblige. With Baddy gone after the deed was done as a parting shot, never to return, the other two started living as neighbors. But not in peace.

Once gangrene had set in, the affected limb had to be amputated. The performing surgeon was a quack and his scalpel a rusty knife. The surgery over, the patient picked up the threads and moved on to lead a normal life, well, as normal a life as one could after a part of one dies. Time and faith helped in the healing of the wound. Ughs could not bear to see peace and tranquility in the neighbor’s estate and tried hard to spoil it all by spitting on the face of Goody off and on, and breaking his window panes, crying "foul" all the time. Nor would he agree to return the precious silver stolen by him while going away to live on his own. To make matters worse, he kept company with the local hoodlums with whom he shared the booty of the stolen silver.

On his part, Goody never went beyond stopping the hand that rose to strike him. After waiting for long in futility for Ughs to have a change of heart, it dawned on the peace loving Goody that installation of additional locks and bolts on the door and strengthening of the fence were not adequate to have lasting peace. He patiently waited on and on and then, in a swift move, punished the villain by forcefully effecting a divide of the latter's house when an appropriate opportunity presented itself, in sweet revenge. Having been foolish enough to shoot himself in the foot, the smarting villain now goes about beating his wife and children in impotent rage and is threatening to set his own house on fire, hoping that the fire would spread and devour Goody's house as well.

Goody is pushed to investing precious resources and time in fighting battles that he is not interested in, being preoccupied with the developing of his estate, what with it having fallen in a bad way with its forceful occupation and crying for elaborate renovations. Such is his predicament. The Evil Empire of Ughs is bound to perish under the collective weight of its own sins when nemesis comes calling. All the same, the peace loving Goody has a lot of fire fighting to do. In the meanwhile, the quack that performed a shoddy job of surgery had been thrown out and his rusty knife broken and buried. Wistful memories of a huge undivided estate which has now shrunk in size still flood Goody's mind and haunt him like ghosts that refuse to go away even after the purge. But doesn't mooning over a lost limb only bring more misery by making one feel the imaginary itchings and pains of a ghost organ?

What does Goody do? Forget it all? No way. Forgive, maybe. Forget, definitely not. He realises that forgetting would lull him into a self-induced coma of complacency and render his estate vulnerable to poaching by intruders yet again. Eternal vigilance, the price of liberty! Learn the lessons of history and watch out for the vermins on the premises lest they should grow into monsters, the estate having been barely exorcised of fading ghosts. Help the new generation of rightful inheritors of the estate build, beside strong fences, an equally strong moral fibre and tap the inexhaustible and inestimable reserves of self esteem at their command, long forgotten. Teach them an unvarnished account of the glorious past of the estate, without omitting its dark chapters. For to hide or obfuscate is to be ashamed. There is nothing to be ashamed of. Most importantly, beware of quacks and their rusty knives of the pseudo Secularism brand.

There was a Rajesh Khanna starrer by the name of "Dushman," directed by Dulal Guha in the early 1970s. It also had Meena Kumari, Mumtaz, Bindu, Johnny Walker, Rehman and Asit Sen in the cast. The movie was a box office hit thanks to the offbeat story line, excellent music and great performance by the actors. The movie was based on a story written by one Virendra Sharma. The story briefly reads something like this.

The hero (Rajesh Khanna) is a happy-go-lucky truck driver. He is accustomed to boozing a lot and driving his truck recklessly. One day, while on a long trip to transport some goods to another town, he breaks the journey at a village on the way as it becomes dark. He spends the night at the house of a prostitute (Bindu) and gets delayed in the morning. He resumes his journey, and to make up for the lost time, drives too fast. Unfortunately, he continues to drink and loses control of the truck. He makes an accident and a poor farmer passing by is run over and killed. The truck driver is truly remorseful and does not run away. He gets arrested by the police and is produced in the court.

Now the filmy judge (Rehman) does not want to go through the usual motions of sending the errant truck driver to jail for a few years as it would help neither the victim's family, which is suffering on account of the death of the sole breadwinner, nor in the reformation of the culprit. He therefore, sentences the culprit to live with the victim's family for two years and look after them as the deceased would have, had he not died.

Nobody is happy with the unique verdict - neither the old parents of the deceased, nor the widow (Meena Kumari), who passionately hates the driver; nor the driver himself. However, the driver bravely stays on in the village in repentance of his wanton act of killing, cultivates the piece of land belonging to the family and helps out every single family member and wins their affection. In the process, he successfully fights and beats the evil landlord of the village who covets everybody's land and harasses the hapless womenfolk. He ends up as a true hero of the whole village, including the affected family. He manages even to romance a village belle (Mumtaz) in true Hindi film style.

In the meanwhile, the period of two years of sentence is over. The driver is free to go away but he does not want to. He wants to spend the rest of his life with the family as one of them. He begs the judge to extend his sentence to life term to be spent in the service of the family affected by his carelessness and wreckless ways of life. The culprit is now a truly reformed person and a people's hero!

Now if this story of the errant truck driver reminds you, dear reader, of some celebrity who has been hitting media headlines for all the wrong reasons throughout his life in the public glare, well, the similarity ends there. No filmy hero is going to read this post, have a change of heart, throw away his hardly earned filthy riches and become a true people's hero by leading a life of atonement in the service of the people. There are miles to go, crashes of all sorts to make, wild oats to sow, few million bucks to spend to buy name and fame in quantities obscenely disproportionate to the fabulous sums lavished by the adulating crowds.... If a few lives get snuffed out in the bargain, and one chooses to read the legend on your body hugging T shirt as "Be Inhuman," that is sheer tough luck. There is no business like show business. Hundreds of crores of rupees are riding on your shoulders. You have to deliver as you are part of the film fraternity which is incestuously closely knitted and thick as thieves. In short, the show must go on, give or take a life. Period.

No, this isn’t about erectile dysfunction nor is it about the universal complaints of women as to why it only takes two minutes for men to have an orgasm? Maybe because men like it fast and it is even better if the food we crave for can also be prepared in two minutes. Imagine two minutes of sex, two minutes to make Maggi Noodles (the plot thickens), one minute to shove it in our mouth and watch tv for the rest of the day. What a perfect life! I will be making several innuendos and puns in this write-up which may or may not be intentional. So beware!

Getting back to the point, let’s talk about the issue at hand and leave the puns aside for a while (but god knows it’s hard). All hell has broken loose after many labs across India found high levels of lead and mono-sodium glutamate or MSG, a taste enhancer in the Maggi Noodles. Maggi is one of those products so popular in India, that it doesn’t even need any advertising. I know people who would carry Maggi packets when they travel abroad. I know this because I used to be one of them. So what the hell happened?

In just one week the share price of Nestle; the company which manufactures and promotes Maggi Noodles and other affiliates like its soup variants has lost over ten thousand crores! The share price is becoming more flaccid every day. One questions the sudden concerns of the Government regarding our health. Truth be told, we already consume vegetables which are full of pesticides and no amount of trying purify drinking water through RO system is going to resolve the problem of arsenic level in the water we drink everyday.

I appreciate respective initiatives of the state governments who have taken an arbitrary and popular decision to ban Maggi and all other brands which falls in its family. However this sudden interest in our physical welfare, justly met with suspicion and skepticism, is unfounded because in the past several years whenever a food product came under suspicion, somehow they managed to make the problem magically disappear. But it seems this time around things might be different, but in the words of the Zen Master “We Will See.”

The fact being, it is quite possible that Maggi and several other fast food items in their quest to taste better might have used chemicals and adhesives to make the product even more addictive. In that way fast food companies are no different from drug dealers who buy 100% pure cocaine and chop it up several times by adding various chemicals like Ketamine (Horse tranquilizers) which makes the already addictive drug even more dangerous, so it is quite possible fast food companies do the same and use some chemicals which make products like Maggi tastier.

Obesity is a problem which is well understood in the West, particularly the United States and that is why McDonnalds now offer healthy salads. The fact is that India is an extremely unregulated country, where corporation can run wild and the food and beverage industry has time and again failed to hold them to the standard which they promise. Many companies have blatantly violated our laws because of corrupt bureaucracy, our apathetic politicians and our political and legal system in general.

Food items like Maggi are so easy to make and are indeed delicious and over the years it seems we have forgotten the value of a healthy meal, especially in the fast life of cosmopolitan cities. People prefer eating maggi without vegetables and I am one from the guilty parties. But with age, some wisdom and also since my body no longer have the constitution to sustain fast food on a regular basis, I have arrived to a logical conclusion, action must be taken and strict fines must be imposed. Sure it causes problems to the corporations but the overall safety and health of the people of India depends upon a fair and impartial investigation. This two minutes dysfunction with our health must come to an end.

Pharmaceuticals companies run illegal tests in India but few people know, because they have a very powerful lobby to shut the voice of reason and justice. Medicines which are banned in the west are sold in India because of political oversight!

Studies have shown the effect of obesity directly related to fast foods. The issue is not just with Maggi but a detailed analysis of all items has to be carried out like the biscuits we eat, potato chips and wafers etc.

I am not anti corporation or anti fast food, all I am asking for is some strict regulation and the high standards which most of the time are maintained in the West. India cannot simply be a testing or a dumping ground for companies because life is “cheap” and there are “plenty more” where we come from.

A dream of a foodie is to discover new taste every day. Every now and then I would come across a name of a restaurant and it would pull me towards it like a magnet! This urge compelled me to check out South Campus restaurants that catered to students. The one that specially caught my attention was BYD. The Big Yellow Door looks every bit as clandestine as its name suggests. I was instantly drawn to it.

Getting off my auto in the scorching heat made me wonder if coming so far just to taste their 'Nachos with cheese' would actually be worth the effort. Anyway I put that thought aside the second I saw the slightly tilted 'Big Yellow Door' that was the entrance to the restaurant! It was more cute than cool. Entering the restaurant with heightening anticipation, I heaved a sigh of relief at being saved from the heat. As reputation goes, BYD always has a long queue for reservation. Fortunately not many wanted to brave the scorching sun that day and I easily got a table.

Securing my place in the restaurant, I looked around and every antique in the restaurant made me gasp at how beautifully decorated it was! The restaurant walls are beautifully carved in wood. They have been very smart with their decorations, painted beer bottles and stones enshrine their niches and walls. The dim light soothes you down instantly, creating a comfortable environment which you wouldn't want to leave.

After looking around and being awestruck I finally pulled the menu-card to check out the menu. Good lord, they had so much to offer!

Sticking to my predetermined choice, I ordered one Nachos with cheese and even though am not a sweet tooth, the drink that the couple next to me were sipping made me curious so I ordered an Oreo Shake. I also ordered Pasta in Basil Pesto sauce only accounting to the fact that it's my favourite and the price was very accommodating!

I placed my order and sipped water while listening to the music as I waited for my order.

I asked the waiter to serve everything together and so he did. To my surprise, it was more than two people could eat! Overwhelmed by the quantity of the food, I digged in carefully in my pasta and good heavens! It was the best Pesto sauce I had tasted in quite sometime. The only little disappointment was the absence of olives in my pasta. I optimized by taking the olives from my nachos in every bite, so it wasn't a deal breaker.

The Nachos looked right out of a food magazine and tasted even better. They were more appetizing than they looked. I could barely finish half of both dishes when my stomach gave up, my tongue however could chuckle over the extraordinary taste of another plate full. Anyway I conceded and asked the waiter to pack the rest of my food. I sipped my Oreo shake and it crackled in my mouth. The melting taste of the chocolate and the crunchy Oreo made a mouthful of a sip. Two sips down my throat, I realized how heavy it was! The entire meal filled me up till my throat and that too in an addictive delightful way!

BYD has aced taste, quality and quantity all at the same time. In my eyes it was every bit a student's wonderland. I made a mental note to thank the friend who suggested the place and paid the bill after the waiter handed over my packed food. This is why I saved the commentary on the service for the end. The staff is so friendly and concerned with your comfort that you would feel like talking to an old friend! They make sure you find a table and show genuine regret at any inconvenience caused at their expense. The comfort of the customer is their major concern. All this on top of the ecstatic feeling in my taste buds, prepared me to confront the heat outside. It was every bit worth the visit and so much more. The packed food in my hand was proof! The entire way back I hoped that I would get hungry again and eat the pasta in my bag.

Being a Delhite, at some point or the other we have all heard of, if not been to the Jama Masjid road where Delhi's best Mughlai foods are famed to have originated. The stories about the food from this place have been told and re­told to the point that they have become fabled and are now perhaps engraved forever in the top ten places to eat in Delhi. The tales about these places are never ending, and in a quest to find any sort of credibility in their ridiculous popularity, I paid a visit to one of the most frequented restaurants in Jama Masjid; Al­Jawahar.

Jama Masjid is a pretty famous landmark among Delhiites, with the mosque being a central point of Old Delhi. Situated off the Netaji Subash Marg and located west of Red Fort, the way towards Al­Jawahar is through the street directly opposite Jama Masjid's gate no. 1. Entering into the street, which remains busy be it 12 in the afternoon or 1 o'clock at night, the big red board of Al­Jawahar immediately comes into focus. Perhaps one of the main reasons why Al- Jawahar continues to be held so high among us Delhiites is that it remains open so late into the night, giving us foodies an option to gorge at during our night time prowls.

Entering into the restaurant, you are led down to a lower basement sort of area where the seating arrangements are provided for the customers. As you wait for someone to come and take your order, the realisation dawns on you that although these restaurants have now spread out in chains, this is perhaps the place where it all started; the origin of serving Mughlai food. This could perhaps be where Akbar's chef prepared him his sheermals, or may be where Noor Jahan was impressed by their soft nihari rotis. Sitting here and wondering about all the tales that could be true, you can't but feel that this is as vintage as it gets.

After you give in your order, the service provided felt as sometimes good, sometimes ok, and sometimes downright neglected. But once the food is served, all you can do is let go of all restraints and dive in.

The taste was what you can expect from a typical Mughlai restaurant, rich in flavour and scaring the wits out of any health conscious person, as there was oil visibly floating in their gravies. The chicken burra, supposedly a Mughlai speciality, was a bit of a disappointment, as we found it lacklustre in its flavour and dry in taste. The khameeri roti (which is basically tandoori roti with a few mughlai tweaks) too tasted really good when hot and soft, but given the general size and the thickness of the dough used, that didn't last long. And once gone cold it becomes more of a task than a treat to bite into them.

The chicken curry which we ordered was one of simple preparation, but making it extravagant beats the purpose of a chicken curry. The meat was succulent, and juicy with two good pieces served. People with a taste for spicier food would probably find the chicken jahangiri more suited to their palate, for it looked more sumptuous and had more flavours added to it. Next up came the mutton qorma, and we all had high expectations regarding this dish. Although the food preparation was good, with the gravy rich in oil and flavour, what was disappointing was a lack of a better piece served up front. It felt like there were no more pieces to dive into after just three or four bites, and that left us feeling somewhat unfulfilled.

Any outing into a Mughlai restaurant is incomplete without their customary dessert firni, which, I felt, again lived up to all expectations. A simple kheer prepared from milk and rice, it was sweet and satisfying, what a traditional dessert is all about. All in all the food was not bad, but you are left feeling slightly disappointed, having perhaps not been served with anything "extraordinarily"

tasty.

The price at which their food is offered seemed high, and a hearty meal from Al­ Jawahar would cost you around 300-­350 per person. The best thing I found about this place was not it's food, but the fact that it remained open till late at night. Over­rated and a general lack of enthusiasm for any sort of improvement in their food summed up the experience of my visit to this place.

Life was much simpler growing up in the 1980s and 90s because we did not have lot going on back then. There was no cable TV or fast food outlets like Pizza Hut or Dominos. The only amusement park we had was Appu Ghar which is now closed and every year in the month of November we would go to India International Trade Fair. My mother for this arduous journey would prepare her own version of sandwiches. The entire experience was exciting because it was fancy and it was one of those rare moments when we all got to eat potato chips (Uncle Chips), usually servedon special occasions. Anyway it was a simpler time yet in many ways tumultuous with riots, terrorism and assassinations.

But still growing up in Delhi in the last century was not all that bad. Life was slow, people still talked to each other and I played outside without any fear in our Mohalla.

It was the 80s and television had just forayed into the lives of many middle class Indians who previously considered it a luxury item. In 1981 my father bought our first TV and it was Dyanora black and white set. It soon became the center of our house, a mantel piece on top of which fake plastic flowers were placed and a special cover was bought to protect the TV from dust. It was indeed “neighbor’s envy owner’s pride” though that catch phrase belonged to some other TV company (Onida). The days of going to the neighbor’s house to watch some of the most popular programs was coming to an end. Owning a color TV, Fridge, VCR and VCP back then was still a distant dream unless you had someone living in the Middle East. Back then an electronic item to smugglers was what heroin and cocaine is to today'sgoons. Also not many people owned a car and owning one was as good as being a royalty. The plus side was it was safe to walk and getting hit by car was far and few. At least that is what I think.

There were no multiplexes or malls to go to or amusement parks. Summer or winter vacations were spent with relatives who either visited us or we visited them. The concept of taking an actual vacation had still not arrived for most folks. I must also say the environment was much cleaner and the air was crisp and fresh, something which is impossible to even fathom these days. Latest English films were released in our theatres after months and sometimes may be after a year. We also had no access to porn and the only way possible was to rent a color tv and VCR from the parlor when the parents were out. To us watching Porn was a rare privilege but these days Porn is just a mouse click away.

Life was quite and the TV programs were broadcasted only few hours in a day and if I remember correctly, the timings were between Six PM to Nine PM in the evening and then all lights out. Not many apartment and housing societies were in existence either and people lived in close knit communities without barriers.

I remember, during summers people would sleep in their verandas and if any delicacy was prepared it was shared among neighbours. Doors and windows were always open and children would walk up to practically anyone’s house to drink a glass of water. I still remember when one of our neighbor purchased a fridge and all of us children lined up just to drink cold water! If guests were visiting, advanced notice was given, extra ice chips and cold drinks were stored to be served. People also used to borrow each other’s furniture for special occasions like engagement etc.

I also played a lot in the evening and not concerning myself with what was on television and looling back I would say, playing with my friends felt much better than playing video games. Back in the day it was all analog and we had no clue what the hell was digital. Also festivals like Holi and Diwali were special because the entire neighbourhood would get together and celebrate as one. In my house it was a ritual to prepare rice idli with coconut chutney and sambahr on holi as we were the only south Indian family living in that locality totally assimilated which was predominately dominated by people from Uttar Pradesh and Punjab and this was one particular South Indian dish which everybody loved. It was a good neighbourhood and my family felt safe. Not once were we ever made to feel any different.

Recently I was talking with my niece who is almost twelve years old and when I told her we did not have any computers or internet when I was growing up, she completely flipped out and asked me how in the world we managed to communicate. I replied, by writing letters or by booking trunk calls which took another ten minutes to explain. Come to think of it, one had to be either very rich or a senior government servant to have the privilege of owning a telephone. The fact was if you booked for telephone installation it would take months and even years before you got a connection because back then it was all about how well connected you were. People used to have locks on their telephones in homes and at offices and one would cringe if you asked to make just one phone call. Also telegrams would scare the hell out of people because usually it was used to deliver bad news.

But all started to change in the 90s with economic liberalization and opening of our markets. Thanks to former Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao, now long forgotten by the bourgeois and by his own political party, who revived our fortunes. India saw its largest growth after independence and people no longer had to wait for years to own a telephone connection, even cars became affordable. VCR gave way to DVD and fridge and color television adorned every household. Even Children have cell phones these days. They spend more time talking or playing mindless games. The parks which were once filled with the noise of children playing are now empty and all one sees are the old people walking or sitting, sharing their sob stories about how they barely get to speak with their children and grandchildren.

I may not have had access to a cell phone or the internet, I may have not owned a motorcycle or even a car back when I was growing up and for the record I was twenty one years old when I first saw an actual porn video. Fact is, it was a good childhood, an innocent childhood which allowed me to mature emotionally at the right pace. I feel very happy when I see some remnants of innocence still lingering to be exhausted in my niece before she is forced to grow up. Kids these days know things I would not have understood if I was hit on the head when I was a teenager. We may have all the modern luxuries but there is disconnect and we are running so fast, our eyes have barely enough time to focus and notice maybe the various milestones of life are arriving too soon.

When people ask me what my thoughts are on Pakistan, I simply say one thing “Cognitive Dissonance.” It was Dr. Leon Festinger who coined this term and for the better part of the last fifty years psychologist have conducted several experiments to give more meaning to this very broad term which just keeps unraveling itself.

Dr. Festinger concluded that “when mental stress or discomfort experienced by an individual who holds two or more contradictory beliefs, ideas, or values at the same time, or is confronted by new information that conflicts with existing beliefs, ideas, or values” and Pakistan falls right into this category.

Ever since, the birth of this new nation which was created on the premise of fear, loathing and paranoia, the obsession to cause injury to India has been the national past-time in Pakistan. Starting from 1948, with the invasion of Kashmir, to the ill-conceived war of 1965 and the genocide committed in East Pakistan in 1971 which concluded with the birth of a new nation in the form of Bangladesh. East Pakistan separated after Pakistani military conducted one of the most under reported genocide in recent history with America turning a blind eye. Pakistani soldiers and sadly even senior officers raped women and murdered hundreds of thousands people and all these actions were blindly accepted as logical because Pakistan was protecting its Sovereignty.

This article is an on the surface psychological evaluation of Pakistan which delves into various physiological prognosis and mental disorders based upon consistent actions of a nation in the nearly seventy years of its existence.

Cognitive Dissonance: To describe Pakistan’s Cognitive Dissonance, all one has to see are its past actions. They have used religious extremism as a means to wage proxy war over India and they know this action will prove detrimental in their own obliteration. No amount of elucidated reasoning is going to change that because they are simply warped within their own fears, shortcomings and insecurities which are too deeply ingrained which prevent logic and reason to prevail.

Another reason to site Cognitive Dissonance was the desire by the Pakistan army and politicians to enter into the debilitating Yemen conflict. Entire state machinery was used to win public opinion with the call for Jihad to fight heretics and traitors because Sunnis believe Shias to be non-Muslims using Parochial Sunni Religious Dogma to justify this course of action. But credit must go to the Pakistani public for showing maturity and logic by taking a very bold and pragmatic decision not to support sending troops to Yemen.

Not to mention sending its over stretched military would not only create tactical problem it would culminate into strategic blunder because Pakistan and Iran share a long border. At home the situation of sectarian violence which has been perpetuated against the minority Shia population which is 20% strong would further worsen.

Borderline Personality Disorder(BPD) is mental disorder where a patient suffers from being emotionally unstable which leads to many complications. In the case of Pakistan its ability to asses’ situations with logic and reasoning is slowly eroding which has led to amalgamations of social, economical and political problems which are diluting this nation. I have done my best to describe few of the Characteristics & Traits of BPD in the context of Pakistan.

Anger:Clearly Pakistan suffers from unresolved anger issues which started from the time of Partition to losing East Pakistan, watching its proxy war not going according to plan and never being able to upstage India at an international stage.

Always and Never Statements:The state security apparatus the ISI have always been used to give logistic support to Jihadi elements like Hafiz Saeed and to launch terror strikes across the border. But when questioned they always say the ISI is not involved and that Pakistan never supports terrorism.

Self Victimization:It was a very unfortunate when over hundred students were brutally murdered by Pakistani Taliban in a Karachi high school. It was an act of self depravation on the part of a terror outfit nurtured, supported and funded by the state. However when they cry as a victim of terror when the injury was clearly self inflicted, it is impossible to buy this premise. Classic case to quote would be the Peshawar school massacre carried out by Pakistani Taliban a entity created by Pakistan.

Baiting: Pakistan has always tried to bait India by raising the Kashmir Issue at an international stage. Now is it wrong? On some level it is politically the right thing to do, but when doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results is an act of foolishness.

Blaming: Right now Pakistan is in great internal turmoil and has always blamed others including India for supporting terrorism in its soil. But we all know the very terror organization which it nurtures is responsible for raging havoc over its own population and other minorities. After the Peshawar school massacre India was blamed for supporting Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan for the murder of 132 innocent school children.

Bullying: The classic case of bullying is the Pakistan Army which has always gotten its way whether it is foreign or domestic policy. It has rigged elections, taken over government and enforced military rule and has forced the elected lawmakers to follow its suit. The Army particularly has never allowed any improvement when it comes to India Pakistan relations. This is because it is good business to have India as an enemy and the Pak Army can fill its coffers and get more money for military hardware.

Catastrophizing: Wheneverthe talk of aid being cut to Pakistan is made, they immediately paint a picture of coming apocalypse and the breakdown of the state and how Jihadist elements will take over. The risk of their nuclear weapons falling in wrong hand is their favorite tune but most experts would agree it is already in wrong hands.

Chaos Manufacture: To some this point succinctly “Taliban &Lashkar-e-Taiba”.

Cheating: Billions of dollars in aid has been diverted to procure weapons and finance terror operations and running clandestine nuclear and missile proliferation whilst the people Pakistan have no basic infrastructure like hospital capable of performing an organ transplants and other intricate surgical procedures.

Circular Conversations: To explain this disorder every time Pakistan starts talks with India on confidence building measures, the talks end up back with the Kashmir issue making the conference moot.

Control-Me Syndrome: It started with the Army controlling the fringe elements in Pakistan to be there plausible deniability and cannon fodder but the dynamics have now changed. The Army and many politicians in Pakistan openly seek approval of people who are controlling narcissistic, antisocial or "acting-out" nature. No politician has the courage to stop Hafiz Saeed or put an end to the Haqqani network and the Army cannot live without them.

Denial: Even today many Pakistanis will not agree that it was the mistake made by their leaders and generals which led to the separation of East Pakistan. The second case to be made is when they say they are the victims of terrorism perpetuated by others, whilst knowing willfully the problems faced by them is of their own making.

Dependency: The Chronic reliance for Pakistan is America, Saudi Arabia and China. From its feeble conception the most powerful individual after the army chief of staff in Pakistan was the American Ambassador. However in the last three decades the petro dollar of Saudi Arabia and China dolling weapons has taken precedence to America. Either way unlike India, Pakistan cannot endure any economic sanctions if it loses its dependency.

Depression: It is the people of Pakistan who are in depression due to apathy and lack of concern by the government to improve their lives. This country is still trying to eradicate chicken pox decease which no longer exist in all most all third world counties. Even today people are living a life of perpetual servitude because of the death grip landowners have over them.

Domestic Theft: Some of the richest people in Pakistan are the powerful landowners who are also politicians and other businessmen who rarely pay taxes or they simply don’t. Only 0.57% of Pakistanis from a population of close to two hundred million pay tax. Also in an article which was published in The Christian Science Monitor, Pakistan loses around four percent of its GDP due to power shortages and there is also massive theft of electricity. Since many people do not pay taxes and there is energy problem which has spiraled out of control.

Pathological Lying: Whenfacedwith insurmountable evidence of direct collusion between Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and ISI who planned and executed the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai, Pakistan squarely lied of any involvement of its state actor’s. They lie when presented with evidence of their support of Taliban in Afghanistan.

Push Pull: Theirforeignpolicy is bases on a push pull factor and the best example is to raise the Kashmir issue at international stage and then faced with the prospect of losing, immediately pull back and ask for resumption of dialogue. Just few months ago the tension at the international border in Kashmir was heating up due to constant firing but the unexpected and robust response given by the Indian Army which is usually asked to show restrain came as a surprise and then the behavior changed and Pakistan again pushed for talks which India rightly refused. But after few months Prime Minister Narendra Modi sent his foreign secretary to Pakistan and immediately after that they were back to same old trick by testing India by releasing Zakiur-Rehman Lakhvi one of the architect of 26/11 Mumbai attacks.

Passive-Aggressive Behavior: The Pakistan Army epitomizes classic passive aggressive behavior pattern by making threats but ensuring not going over the top. Former army Chief and President Parvaz Mushfrraf is a classic example who often talks about normalizing relations with India but then immediately goes on offensive and attacks.

Sabotage: Just after the Lahore declaration in 1999 when India and Pakistan came close to resolving various issues, Kargil happened. This conflict brought these two nuclear power nation on the brink of a nuclear war when reports of nuclear launch control was given into the hands of field commanders which is a direct countermand of nuclear launch protocols. Nawaz Sharif had to high tail to Washington on a fourth of July weekend and had to plead to President Bill Clinton to exert American influence over a rogue Pakistan Military which enjoys no oversight of its actions. The Kargil conflict of 1999 and the attack on Parliament in 2003 and the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks played a role of sabotage in improving relations between India and Pakistan.

Selective Competence: over the years with support from various nations involved in nuclear and ballistic missile proliferation Pakistan has acquired and even perfected its nuclear and missile arsenal over the years but when it comes to improving infrastructure like power generation and setting up industries it has failed.

Situational Ethics: The concept of good terrorist and bad terrorist is the best example. Afghan Taliban is good and Pakistani Taliban is bad. Lashkar-e-Taiba when it comes to carrying out terror attacks in India and targeting minorities in Pakistan is good. It is all about the end justifies the means for the greater good.

Tunnel Vision: Since1947the sole purpose for the existence of Pakistan as nation has been to destroy India because of the lost glory of Islamic dominance for nearly 800 years. This Myopic attitude has sadly proved a great impediment to this young nation which has long forgotten the vision of by its founder Mohammad Ali Jinnah who is probably the classic case of cognitive dissonance. From being a secular state, Pakistan is now the bastion of Islamic global terror and dysfunction. Letting puritanical Islamic religious dogma play a vital role in its society will eventually and irrevocably fracture this nation blinded by religion and profusion of hate.

I end this article with a quote from one of the most profound thinkers of our time Noam Chomsky,

“Dream is not that which you see while sleeping it is something that does not let you sleep”

APJ Abdul Kalam

Enough has already been written some might say, about President Kalam, but I say the more we write, the more we talk and most importantly remember his ideas and vision, the better our lives and the lives of our countrymen would be. I was very hesitant to write about this unassuming man who I have the misfortune of never meeting in person or even just have glimpse of his silhouette. But an encouragement from an old schoolmate of mine, gave me a renewed strength to write or maybe it was just divine intervention.

O Captain! my Captain! our fearful trip is done

On 27th July 2015 our own Missile Man, Bharat Ratna and former President of our Republic, APJ Abdul Kalam passed away the way I suppose he always intended, which was interacting with future generation of Indians. Is it possible he timed his own death? We will never know but what will always remain alive with us are his ideas which I hope we are able to keep ignited for decades to come. It might be blasphemy to call President Kalam a prophet but he was a poet and a philosopher who gave our country a firm footing in international arena through his rockets so we may never be bullied again.

If pre-independent India had Mahatma Gandhi, the post-independent India had Kalam and we were all fortunate enough to witness and watch greatness walk among us mortal beings. I am not trying to turn Kalam into a god or even a demigod because he would not like it. The fact is he was more human than most of us which is in itself more divine.

To say, he rose from a humble background to becoming the President of India, has got be an understatement of the century, he was a lot more! His achievements are unparalleled in the history of post independent India. This is testament to fact, it is still possible to reach the highest office in our country through hard work, dedication, honesty and he proved it.

The example he set on how to go about serving the country must put to shame almost all politicians who are only interested in two things. How to get elected and how much they can steal from the public. But the wealth accumulated by President Kalam was not money; it was the everlasting love, admiration and his sincere service to the people of our country which makes him stand out in his own virtue. Alas! Our politicians have a skin which is thicker than any armor with no consciousness which made them impervious to compassion but not him.

Never did he misuse his position or the power he wielded, in fact he has made sincerity and humbleness synonymous to his name. It would not be wrong to ask our so called VVIP’s to act ‘KALAM’.

But that is a bridge too far.

I cannot imagine a single incident where a leader of some repute died and schools and government offices were not shut down, bringing joy to millions of school children and barely working “Babus”. Our already dysfunctional Parliament was adjourned for two days as a tribute to President Kalam which he would have vehemently opposed because he would rather see our members of parliament work, pass bills and make laws than take two days off. Stalling work in Parliament, a habit employed by both Bharatiya Janata Party and Congress, has caused losses amounting to crores of rupees to our exchequers and it is highly unlikely that any more work will ever get done during the monsoon session. The spectacle of blame game and mudslinging will unfortunately continue at the expense of national interest and all the speeches given to honor President Kalam will render academic.

To paraphrase what Khalil Gibran who wrote,” let us not make a stranger of this poet among his people in the years to come” or he will just be a footnote in our history.

Right now copious articles are being written and I am sure books will be published about him, but is it enough? What is more important is not just to read about him but to inculcate his ideas in the marrow of our bones and pass that along to generations still to come. Our beloved people’s President lived life to the fullest and I am sure he wasn’t afraid of death. I was reminded by an old rendering of Dhammapada verse given to humanity by Gautama Buddha.

Heedfulness is the path to the Deathless.

Heedlessness is the path to death.

The heedful die not.

The heedless are as if dead already.

Yes the heedful die not and our beloved Kalam lived his life following this divine rendering. In the words of Edvard Munch the famous Norwegian painter who said “From my rotting body, flowers shall grow and I am in them and that is eternity.”

Let us preserve this flower for eternity, let the message of our Kalam be never taken away from us or diluted. Let us insure his way of life and his works are taught in every school so our younglings can grow up smelling the flowers of wisdom and his spirituality for eternity which has touched the hearts and souls of over billion people.

Your religious proclivities and orientation and those of your family members were nobody else's concern till you made that highly insidious speech on 'Tolerance' a couple of days ago and set stage for a discussion. I believe you are a Muslim, your wife an atheist and your child is growing up, in all probability, in a religious vacuum. My belief is based on information available on the public domain. I am subject to correction. What is it that unites the three of you as a family? Love and understanding or 'Tolerance'?

India is home to millions of Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and people of so many other religious groupings and communities, agnostics and atheists. Without prejudice to their beliefs and practices, what should unite them all as people of this great country of ours? A healthy respect based on universal love and understanding toward one another or 'tolerance'?

What is this talk of 'tolerance', anyway? It is something like if you kill an animal and eat its meat which I don't approve of but still keep quiet, you would call me tolerant; if, on the contrary, I say "No", you would call me 'intolerant'. Right? When one is forbidden from eating a horse or dog in the US or Europe and pork in certain other countries by the law and local customs, one meekly accepts it. Yet why should the same person necessarily want to eat beef, much to the consternation and angst of Hindus who worship the cow as their own mother, in the only country in the world which they can call their own? Now, who is tolerant here - the Hindus who call for prohibition of cow slaughter in no country other than their own, or those who insist on their 'right' to eat whatever they want, including beef, despite the law, local customs and sentiments of the majority community people?

Hinduism is the most ancient living religion in the world. If there are superstitious beliefs and practices found in that religion, of what concern is it to anybody else except the Hindus themselves? Instead of leaving the matter to the Hindus to tide over their own affairs, why make a movie (PK7), ridiculing Hindu deities, god men etc without giving a thought to the feelings and susceptibilities of the targeted community, especially when you hold your tongue when it comes to discussing your own religion? The lucre of money and fame and fear of threat to your own life? Now, who is tolerant here - Hindus who don't make movies to ridicule other religions or the ones who flagrantly ridicule in their films Hinduism and its ways?

You had referred to the killings of some 'rationalist' writers in one corner of the country and the killing of a man "over beef" in another and wove around a pattern of "intolerance". You were evidently appalled over Prime Minister Modi's 'deafening silence' over the killings and the 'failure' of his government to prevent the killings. If Mr.Modi and the government that he leads deserve flak over the killings, don't they deserve tons of credit for the safety and security in which millions of our countrymen, including rationalist thinkers and writers, members of non-Hindu communities, agnostics and atheists, live and prosper by the day? When was the last time, Mr. Khan, that all of us came together to pass a vote of thanks to Prime Minister Modi and his government for making it possible for us to live in peace and pursue our belief, profession and way of life? Could it be because the role of the Priest Minister and his government in keeping the country together in relative peace, safety and security is taken for granted like that of our Armed Forces in times of relative peace? Who is intolerant here, Mr. Khan?

Lastly, yours is a rags to riches story. You made your fame and fortune and raised a family in this country. What made it all possible for you? Was it not the climate of tolerance and love and affection of your fans, cutting across the religious divide, that gave you the break and enabled you to prove your talent and mettle as a 'thinking man's actor?' So why the urge to send across a message, divisive in nature, that would split your fans and well wishers?

Instead of calling for increased levels of tolerance, should we all not be promoting a healthy respect among different communities? Why don't you work toward that end and set an example to your fans and others? Maybe you could even start a movement. But, please take note, there are no millions to be made here, only a glorious opportunity to forge unity among millions of right thinking people. Think and reflect, Mr. Khan, even if it hurts. It cannot hurt more than the hurt that your speech has caused. You must prove to one and all that you are an achiever, not a quitter.

- A fan who does not want to see you go "out".

Gauhar Khan shot to instant fame when her name hit Media headlines a few days ago. A little-known small-time Bollywood actor and a lesser-known fashion model, Gauhar would have liked the Media to scream out her name for bagging an Oscar or, at least a Filmfare award. Sadly for her, it was not to be. Her name hit the headlines because she had been hit earlier in the day by a faceless fan, whose status had metamorphed into that of a self-appointed guardian of morality, following the incident. The guy slapped the girl for wearing, as a Muslim, a short dress. The ugly incident left the actor shaken and the organizers and onlookers shocked. The Media wasted no time in pouncing on the issue and going to town with comments from fellow Bollywood actors and sundry women's rights activists.

The Media went ballistic over the escapade and fretted and fumed over a social non- entity's temerity to don the mantle of a guardian of morality and tell a darling member of the glitterati what kind of clothes she should wear. This was not admissible, it said. This kind of vigilantism could not be allowed to go on unchecked, it warned. Short of saying that the end of the world was around the corner, it bemoaned the frighteningly awful times the society had fallen in.

While practically everyone condemned the reprehensible nature of the incident and elaborated on why vigilantism was not to be tolerated, one was bemused to note that religious bigotism or a religion's unbridled encroachment in an individual's freedom of expression or personal liberty had not been taken up for discussion either by the Media or by the intelligentsia. It was not very amusing either to remind oneself that these same people would have come down like a ton of bricks if only the sacrilege had been committed in the name of the religion of the majority community. The religion of the minority community is, apparently, the Holy Cow beyond reproach, although nobody with the exception of pious Hindus finds anything holy or sacred about a cow!

The saving grace of the sordid story is that the sod who had enacted the sorry spectacle did not claim to represent any religious organisation or authority. Nor was he openly supported by anyone in the name of a religion. This leaves the murky waters less murky than it would otherwise have been!

From the statement of the villain of the piece that he had slapped the actor for wearing, as a 'Muslim', a short dress, it stands out to reason that if the actor had been a non-Muslim and worn a short dress, he would have hardly been bothered. A Rakhi Sawant or a Poonam Pandey would have fit the role nicely in a short dress. In fact, a shorter dress might have been a much better idea. For it would have accentuated and highlighted the decadence in the culture of non-Muslims; the Muslim actors would have, in that case, stood out as shining examples of self-restraint and self-respect and not stuck out like shameless cases of moral degradation! So, it was all a case of casting a good actor in a bad role! Gauhar has, therefore, no one else to blame than herself for choosing a bad role and the consequent mess she has landed in!

Gauhar must, as an actor that she is, move on undeterred and play all shades of human foibles and be prepared to win bouquets and brickbats with equal elan. While performance is the core of her projection, the packaging and presentation can't be dismissed as a matter not worth a picayune. There must be any number of fans who love Gauhar, warts and all. There must also be any number of narrow-minded and rabid religious bigots among her fans who take upon themselves the task of trenching into a female actor's prerogative of choosing her habiliment. Show me a garden which is not a potential hiding place for a viper and I'll show a crowd of audience sans a madcap or a crackpot. That's what stardom is all about. Remaining conscious of and being ever alive to the reality of competing in a world of make believe and surreality, is the price of a piece of the show business pie. You could neither afford the luxury of being carried away by the adulation of your fans nor be put down for long by the below-the-belt criticism or derision of personal lives by the peeping tom paparazzi or possessive and jealous fans. Fame fraught with flaws is the name of the game!

I personally feel it could all be a matter of overlooking the obvious and overplaying a freak incident of a silly hobbledehoy's obsession for a starlet.

Gauhar Khan is a starlet whose claim to fame is not her stellar performances in a variety of challenging roles in Bollywood films. She is eminently known for blink-and-you-miss-her kind of roles, and cutie-pie looks. Besides, she was the winner of the much hyped TV show 'Big Boss,' a couple of years ago. There is nothing wrong about that either. There is a place for everyone in Bollywood and she has hers. Her diehard fans are not from the same category as a Meena Kumari's or a Waheeda Rahman's. They are obviously the starry-eyed kind of fans who are in love with starlets, the aspiring and struggling ones who have not reached dizzying heights and are like low-hanging fruits. They are the kind of possessive young men who frequent the shooting sets of the starlets, yearning all the time for a winsome smile or an imagined secretive and encouraging gesture or signal from their dream girl.

The misguided youth charged with assaulting the starlet is quite likely a possessive and starry-eyed fan of Gauhar's, secretly in 'love' with her and could not stand the idea of sharing her charm and affection for him with multitudes of unwashed humanity. She was someone special for him and hence his joining his hand with her cheek to warn the villains not to come between them!

"A job with the New York Yankees! This has been the dream of my life ever since I was a child, and it's all happening because I'm completely ignoring every urge towards common sense and good judgment I've ever had. This is no longer just some crazy notion, Elaine, Jerry. This is my religion."

"So I guess your messiah would be the Anti-Christ."

- George and Jerry, in "The Opposite"

No I am not writing about my love for one of my all time favorite sitcoms. I am writing about Donald Trump’s political tactics which reminded me of one particular episode "The Opposite” for euphemism and analogy where George says every decision he has ever made have proved wrong in his life and Jerry in return suggests "if every instinct you have is wrong, then the opposite would have to be right" and that is exactly what Donald Trump is doing. In that episode George gets a hot girlfriend and a job with the New York Yankees. Jerry turns into “Even Steven” where no matter what happens to him he is always square. However the likes of Jeb Bush, Chris Christi, Marco Rubio and others turn into Elaine, who is kicked out of her apartment, loses her boy friend due to poor judgment and her job.

They say in politics expect the unexpected, however less than a year ago, no one would have dreamt Donald Trump could be the next Republican Presidential nominee and Hilary Clinton will be having a hard time getting the Democratic Party nomination because of Socialist Bernie Sanders. It seems even in modern times, we do not have the intellect to expect the unexpected because all conventional norms of politics have been broken ever since politicians from both the parties began their campaign. The first step is to get their party nomination and then fight the general election. But the general election is a bridge too far right now to discuss.

It is clear juvenile tactics does work in politics

Name calling and dirty underhanded tricks to create confusion to your rival’s campaign has been done by almost all politicians but 2016 is perhaps the ugliest in recent times. This is truer with the Republican Party because people like Donald Trump have taken the concept of attacking his opponents to a new level and the person who suffered the most by his school boy insults was low energy mama's boy Jeb Bush who thought he had the nomination in the bag with the help of name recognition. His tactic for making personal attacks on his opponents by calling them liars made for very good entertainment and mob loved it and somewhere started to believe it. When leader runs for the office of the President of the United States of America the people expect a very high level of dignity and honor but all that has changed this time around and it is clear, the people want someone who talks pedestrian.

To Americans, the office of the President is sacrosanct and the person who occupies the Oval Office must be beyond disrepute. However, that is not the case this time because the remaining players are carrying some incendiary past like Hilary Clinton with her emails, Bernie Sanders with his socialist message, Ted Cruz who is hated by his own party, Marco Rubio who does not have great record in the Senate and John Kasich who seems to be the only candidate in the Republican party who has maintained a good record and great level of restrain and decency.

“There is only one kind of shock worse than the totally unexpected: the expected for which one has refused to prepare- Mary Renault.”

No one knew Donald Trump will become such a monkey wrench for the GOP but when they did it was too late and the damage was done

They say politicians like to blow their own horn but it seems this man is an orchestra in himself and from the beginning he said things other politicians might discuss very privately. It is safe to say neither the majority of Americans nor the Republican Party was or is prepared for Donald Trump. Fact is he has been predictable with his behavior from the beginning but Republicans were afraid to call it, hoping he will go away like a small migraine but now he has turned into a malignant inoperable tumor. The writing was on the wall ever since Donald Trump Jr kicked started his campaign from his fabled Trump Towers and since then he has managed to gain the support of the bottom dwellers of the Republican Party i.e. White Supremacists. He has managed to give them a platform like never before and they seem to relish the opportunity when he prompts them to hit people who try to disrupt his gatherings.

One could write a book by collating all the insults, cheap remarks and barbs hashed out by Donald Trump when it comes to women, Mexicans, Muslims, journalists or just about anyone who disagrees with him. But that does not mean whatever thing which comes out of this mouth is wrong and sometimes he does make some since which in turn makes him a bit of an enigma and slowly people in America are finding his ideas refreshing. Fact is the Republican Party knew what is Donald Trump but did nothing, thinking he would fail on his own but instead have managed to create a bombastic leader who has insulted almost all top leaders of his party and now in all likelihood they would have to stand behind him and sing his praise.

Unsinkable Donald Trump

When you have it, flaunt it and flaunt he did which took everyone by surprise because there is no humbleness about him when he talked to the masses. More importantly with his opponents (Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio and John Kasich) he has been brutal with his coarse and misogynistic speech and has been just nasty with journalists but still his numbers are solid and it seems he is poised to win the Primary in Florida and do quite well in Ohio which will make his lead unassailable.

Who cares about political correctness?

A certain degree of political correctness is a must because a politician has to be a diplomatic but Donald Trump is as politically correct as former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi who is renowned for his politeness and humble qualities. Both these men are very rich and live a very ostentatious life in public and Donald Trump did not hide it. He said publically he is very rich, successful and bragged about other things including how well endowed his privates are and the people liked it even though it lowered the political discourse. It is clear when it comes to American politics Donald Trump could walk through rain and not get wet and in likelihood he will be the Republican nominee come November 2016 and it is the GOP the party of Lincoln and Regan who are responsible.

Why would anybody want to reinvent a wheel is a question that would puzzle anyone and is beyond one's ken of comprehension. There could be no plausible explanation for such an obviously redundant venture, which would richly merit derision and be scoffed at as a foolhardy person's futile exercise by the mildest of the critics and dismissed as poppycock and balderdash by the harshest. Not unless it is a case of 'wheels within wheels' which, according to the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesarus, is "hidden or unknown things that influence a particular situation, making it more complicated than it at first seems." Why would a young man from a poor rural background, whose parents are barely subsisting on their frugal earnings, and yet is studying in a premier educational institution in the capital city, expenses handsomely subsidised by the State, wake up one day and demand "azadi" (freedom) in a random meeting of a group of fellow students in which derogatory, inflammatory and highly objectionable anti-national slogans such as dismemberment of India and use of guns for securing "azadi" by force were raised?

Since the entire nation sans the vociferous young man and the cluster of his associates who deemed it appropriate to grab media headlines and prime time TV slots by making high decibel "demands," could not have gone into a collective bout of amnesia post-1947 and are, on the contrary, well alive to India being a Sovereign Democratic Republic, free from the yoke of colonialism, one could not be faulted for thinking that the young man had managed to do a bit of time travelling and gone back in time to the days of the British Raj, if not to the medieval times when the blood thirsty warlords of Arabia, Central Asia and Mongolia overwhelmed Hindustan with their unconventional warfare and unimaginable cruel ways of subjugation of the peaceful inhabitants of the country who had never ventured to wage war against any alien country beyond the borders of their own country and had, in fact, considered the whole world their family. In such an event, he should be helped by the law enforcement agencies and the court to return to the here and now expeditiously for his own good. It must be conceded that these august agencies have already covered fair ground in this connection during the course of their interrogation of the young man and his subsequent trial in the court. They would do well to go the whole hog to make sure that the time traveller is firmly grounded to the twenty first century India, the biggest functioning democracy in the world, and does not relapse into the past. Such a course of action is highly recommended for curing the young man and his associates who are burning with a fever of memory loss and self deprecation unless, of course, the youngsters had simply worked themselves up to a feverish pitch to secure "hidden or unknown things that influence a particular situation, making it more complicated than it at first seems."

In short, "wheels within the wheel" syndrome. It is obvious that there is more to the recent developments than what meets the eye. Apparently, the youngsters who have taken cudgels against their perceived enemies and have been crying hoarse about such vacuous issues like "communalism", "secularism", "black money" etc have not been doing it all without a specific purpose or game plan. They have evidently hitched their ramshackle wagon to a far-from-rising star of the leftist parties.

The young man of the Jawaharlal Nehru University who donned the war paints as the 'khalnayak' (anti-hero)of the sordid saga of events that panned out on 9 February in the university premises under the aegis of a student’s union of which he was (and is) the President has all the makings of an aspirant of active politics. His demagoguery and choice of issues to shout and scream about bear witness to the lurking political ambition in him. Expressly forbidden by the university authorities from holding a cultural evening on the anniversary of the hanging of Afzal Guru, an enemy of the State, who had been accused of being the mastermind of a terror attack on the parliament way back in December 2001 by a gang of Pakistani terrorists, and hanged in February 2013, on the orders of the highest court of the land, Mr.Khalnayak Kumar and his associates went ahead, in open defiance of the instructions of the university authorities, and held their programme which was anything but a "cultural evening". Was this the "azadi" that the young man wanted freedom to hold an unauthorised assembly of students in defiance of the instructions of the university authorities who were responsible for the happenings on their premises? If he and his associates are indeed patriots as they claim, as one is tempted to believe, the question arises as to who raised the most reprehensible and condemnable anti-national slogans on the fateful evening. Who were those men with faces covered, seen in the video recordings of the shameful event organised by Mr.Khalnayak Kumar?

If those were not students but outside elements as we are persuaded to believe, wasn't Mr.Khalnayak Kumar squarely responsible for the holding of the event without the approval of the competent authority, and allowing it to be infiltrated by anti-national elements? Even if these nationalist students had not anticipated infiltration of their meeting by anti-national elements, shouldn't they have abandoned the meeting which, in any case, was not an authorised event, once it became obvious that the meeting had been compromised? Shouldn't the brave young men and women, who have been challenging the government, have caught hold of the anti-national elements who made the most inflammatory slogans and handed them over to the university authorities, if not directly to the police? How could the peace loving bright-eyed students of a prestigious university let snakes crawl about their Garden of Eden and expect the nation to believe that they had not been seduced to partake the forbidden fruit, let alone harbour and offer their milk of innocence to the snakes?

On receipt of a complaint about the anti-national activities in JNU, the Delhi police swung into action. After fidgeting for a while, waiting and watching the developments, they clumsily blundered about taking Mr.Khalnayak Kumar into custody for interrogation. They filed a case of sedition and produced him in a court. Thrown in the high wattage drama that shrouded the escorting of the anti-hero by the police to the court, was the incident of Mr.Khalnayak Kumar being roughed up in the melee by the lawyers at the court who were fretting and fuming over his highly provocative and dubious role in the unsavoury incidents at the university. Eventually, Mr. Khalnayak Kumar was let out by the court on conditional bail but not before he spent nearly three weeks in the prison. The court also had a thing or two to tell him in no uncertain terms about nationalism and how he should conduct himself and be above reproach during the bail period.

No sooner had he been released on bail, than Mr.Khalnayak Kumar resumed his rabble rousing activities albeit in a somewhat subdued manner. Aside from apprising his associates on camera about his incarceration and interrogation by the police in his flamboyant and fiery style, he has been going about giving interviews to the mainstream media in a somewhat low profile style, proudly wearing a feigned image of a poor victim mauIed by a mighty government, as a badge of honour.

In the meanwhile, more persons from JNU had been taken in by the police on the charge of sedition. Apparently, the authorities in the Union Home Ministry and Delhi Police seemed to be reconciled to the idea that the malaise of discontent and disaffection which has been plaguing JNU is a deep-rooted malady that calls for a thorough and meticulous investigation and an appropriate follow up action so as to rid JNU of undesirable ultra-political and suspicious anti-national activities and restore a peaceful academic atmosphere. Highly objectionable and incendiary pamphlets in the nature of hurting the religious sentiments of a particular community have been seized. The university authorities have been sending, on their part, notices to the dramatis personae of the unseemly incident, as part of their own investigation. The students, who are on a warpath, have been training their guns on the Prime Minister and the Union HRD Minister in an extremely derisive manner. The incidence of the death of Rohith Vemula of the University of Hyderabad came in handy for the disgruntled students of JNU in their desperate bid to malign the Modi government. Yet another addition to their litany of vacuous demands - justice for Rohith Vemula! Apparently, Mr.Khalnayak Kumar and his band of supporters have been sold on the idea of trouncing the government on the strength of their raucous and vacuous demands on the shoulders of sensationalism.

JNU's very own Don Quixote, menacingly on his way to tilt at the huge giant of a windmill and his faithful bunch of Sancho Panzas are not without their fair share of support from the Opposition parties, particularly the Communists and the party of the aam aadmi vaiety, which have been wearily eyeing the mighty Modi government and fantasising and drooling over its downfall. The romancing of Mr.Khalnayak Kumar by the dwindling tribe of the short-statured opposition parties flows by no means from what could be termed as their new-found love for the blue-eyed boy of students politics. The students union of Mr.Khalnayak Kumar is affiliated to the Communist parties. The sudden spurt in the union's off-the-tangent activities is indicative of Mr.Khalnayak Kumar's cutting his political teeth and being groomed by his mentors. The continued successful performance of the Modi government in its second year of existence and the miserable failure of the Congress party, headed by the ineffectual Gandhis, to provide a serious viable alternative at the Centre, as well as the forthcoming State assembly elections, have had the snowballing effect of giving rise to a desperate bid by the Communist parties which are on the verge of extinction as elsewhere in the world, to promote and pit Mr.Khalnayak Kumar against a formidable Narendra Modi.

"Give me liberty or give me death!" thundered Patrick Henry in his famous speech at the Virginia Convention in 1775. The portentous speech swung the balance in convincing the convention to pass a resolution delivering Virginian troops for the Revolutionary War against the Kingdom of Great Britain and declaring the thirteen United Colonies of today's USA independent. Contrast the tide-turning speech of Henry with the speeches of Mr.Khalnayak Kumar which are qualitatively different and fraught with assertions such as "Azadi leke rahenge " (we shall not rest till we get freedom), and exhortations like "Inquilab zindabad" (Victory to revolution), "lal salaam" (red salute) etc. No freedom fighter this, our very own champion of shadow boxing, whose concept of freedom is either a degenerate call for changes in the political system at the best or a heavily loaded ultra-political barb at the worst; his roadmap for securing the ends is littered with blood and gore (red salute). It is one thing to be a puffed up hero with an inflated image courtesy sold-out-sections of the mainstream media; and yet another to be a leader of the masses and classes alike. An artificially puffed up chest has no staying power like the one built like a barn door! Khalnayak Kumars may feel thrilled with the flow of adrenalin while riding the wave of the media-generated publicity and playing to the gallery, cheered and goaded by their own bands of admirers and supporters but would do well to bear in mind that the media soon tires of its own creations. In the media's scheme of things, what was yesterday the flavour of the season becomes yesterday's left overs today a la the Aam Aadmi Party supremo.

The moment Putin announced that he was going to withdraw its army from the land of war, he started getting targeted by black humour and sarcasm. Somebody even went ahead and said Putin got scared because of the military exercise by Saudi Army. The first Aircraft of Russian army took off on Thursday and tagged with it venting on Twitter and Facebook also took off.

There opponents of Bashar al-Assad started celebrating the withdrawal of the Army terming it a Lover’s Break up, but Russian will continue to bomb. Facebook and Twitter is laden with hundreds of fake, doctored images and hypothetic statements. One Facebook page states that there was a mutual agreement for the withdrawal between Putin and Assad. We can see some celebrating the decision and some throwing black humour.

Leaving what people are saying there are tens of questions that stand tall. Why is there a surprise announcement for the withdrawal? Has Russia achieved it’s strategic goal as it stated before he sent his planes there? Putin has another tens of answers to support his decision to move out and they seem rationale as well. Slumping oil prices, internal turmoil, Russian civilians not happy with the decision to bomb Syria and obviously constant sanctions on Russia by the giant rivals. Russia’s flexibility to make decision and act on it like it did by deciding to send troops, bomb Syria, assist Assad and leave as soon as possible. On the other hand, Obama does not enjoy the same. He has to talk to everyone in the house to get the permission and tell the nation that ‘The America wants to Save Syria’ then he takes decision. And when he has to pull out, he has to repeat the steps. Obama seem to be jealous of Putin at his manoeuvrability. Russia is quick to enter foment the trouble among some and confer aid to some and is quick to quit as well.

So what picture does it cast when we try to analyse the situation from both the aspects? Putin wanted to show he is not shaken by the sanctions and he is a world partner on human right issues. He can take active part in that as he finds his partner in Syria was struggling so he lent a hand and supported. The result is apparent. Because of Russian military aids and direct assistance, Assad’s position is getting back to strength. This is the right moment to withdraw. Hence, this seems pretty decent decision taken at a right time.

It is only natural that our capital is ranked number one when it comes to viewing porn in India. However there is a twist to it, apparently men and even some women in Delhi and across India have developed liking to “Desi Porn”. Now talk about make in India initiative it seems we are now giving some of the well established players in the market a run for their money. I decided to write this article after I read a rather interesting piece in TOI about India’s latest obsession with desi porn and our fair capital being the number one consumer. So I started asking myself this question, what makes desi porn more popular and titillating?

Now why does a person gets into the porn industry is a very difficult question to answer and I bet there are plenty of data and news articles to get that information. However as a man, guilty as charged who has watched porn, I think it has something to do with fantasy. When I was a teenager there were no internet and I am talking about growing up in the 1990s when compared to today it was a simpler time. It’s not that people did not view porn, the point is, it was very difficult. Liberalization of our economy had not yet gained momentum and many households did not have a color tv and VCR including my own. So when parents were not home boys would hire TV, VCR and X rated video tapes from the local video parlor which now people remember in cities as folklore and together with friends watch the forbidden. Or catch the Nine AM show in CP. I am not proud of it and I blame hormones.

But coming back to present, and with regards to ‘Millennials’ who were born in late 80s and early 1990s they simply do not know the amount of Hard Work (Pun intended) us slightly older folks had to do to watch porn. It was not easy and the fear of getting caught was very high and unfortunately some did get caught who were either beaten or as a tacit understanding or call it denial, never talked about it again. But enough nostalgia because I come from a time when there were no twenty four hour cable, broadband and the term “MILF” was not yet invented. God I feel old! But as I was saying the article which was published in TOI talks about India’s obsession and particularly New Delhi’s fascination with Desi Porn to me comes as no surprise.

Think about it, back in the day parents will not take children to movies if it had a kissing scene. I remember watching Tarzen starring Kimi Katkar, alone. But today every other actress does not mind doing kissing scene which in my opinion have sensitised our society as a normal human behavior. Mind you if I ever catch my parents kissing I am jumping from the nearest tall building (jumping from my building might not do the trick). But yes Desi Porn, I think it has to do with watching Indian women in nude and also many videos are homemade like couple in their honeymoon, collage hostel or high school kids getting their freak on. The point is we want to see Indian women naked. Come to think of it my parents were rather liberal when I was in my teens and often my father took us to watch English films and the kissing scene or tolerable love scene did not bother him or my mom even though we were sitting next to each other in theater. But I felt awkward to watch Hindi films where the heroine danced seductively in rain because since we were kids the perception was Indian women are very pious and western women are more open which is a very poor attitude to have.

So I think when we watch an Indian women having sex on the internet and hopefully with consent because there are some sick people out there, we relive our own fantasy of hoping to get a glance of a girl in our neighborhood while she is bathing, the “hot aunty” or "our own Savita bhabhi which is a very popular search word gave us sleepless nights. Is watching porn a good thing and in hindsight thank god there was no internet when I was teenager because I might have not gotten any work done. The answer is no but since when mankind has stopped from doing the right thing. My research was not very easy and I am not going to share any stats but what I found out that most of the videos which have maximum views was homemade, so remember and it is quite possible you might one day stumble upon a video which might feature someone near and dear to you and remember the cost of therapy is not cheap.

I was watching DDLJ few years back when I was abroad and there was this particular scene which made me cringe or call it an epiphany. The character of Kajol thinks she might have had sex with Shah Rukh Khan and she freaks out then our hero grabs her and looks her into her eyes and with a very serious tone says that he knows the value “Izzat” aka virginity of an Indian women. Maybe there lies the answer to our question why we are into desi porn because we hold our women in such high standards that getting any opportunity to see them in compromising positions is just an impossible opportunity to let go. There are movies after movies where the girl is about to be raped or sold into prostitution and in the nick of time is rescued before her Izzat is taken and it is our hero who finally takes the bite of the apple. No wonder we are obsessed watching Indian women naked and in the words of Mark Twain “The more things are forbidden, the more popular they become.”

I made a quip about make it in India initiative which is also the title of this article since Indians are more into desi porn, but I do not think it is possible for any of our Indian cities to turn into the next San Fernando Valley which is the home to the porn industry in U.S. Some people with serious academic qualification say watching some porn is a healthy form of expression and maybe it is but in India watching porn is reaching epidemic proportions giving young minds unrealistic ideas about sex. It was important for me to get a little serious because life has taught me many lessons and though I have tried to approach this issue in a light heated manner, if a teenager with access to iPad, lap top and smart phone is reading this, I say this them “No one can stop you from watching porn I know I did with lot of difficulty and it was wrong and also a learning experience but do not make a habit of it because what you view is someone else reality or their nightmare.”

I have mentioned some of my life experiences and hope it might be of some useful information and now I must go and erase my search history.

A senior official of Ministry of Human Resource Development said on Saturday that the National Institute of Technology (NIT) will remain in Srinagar and the examination will be held as per schedule from April 11, 2016. The statement came after some non-Kashmiri students had demanded that NIT must be shifted to Jammu as they did not feel safe in Srinagar.

The trouble began when India lost the semi-finals of T20 World Cup to West Indies and some Kashmiri students started celebrating India’s defeat by raising freedom slogans. In response, a clash broke out amongst Kashmiri and non-Kashmiri students and the latter also carried out protests in the campus raising ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’ slogans. In following days, around 500 students tried to march out of the NIT campus alleging that they felt insecure and wanted to go home. The state police, in the course of keeping the mob from exiting the NIT gates, lathi-charged few of the students. Later on, the Home Ministry deployed Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). The outstation students also demanded that the campus be shifted outside the valley, which ofcourse has been denied by the HRD Ministry.

Incidents such as these makes one wonder that how did even India manage to stay a democracy all these years? Sir John Strachey, a member of Governor General’s Council in British India, once told in a Cambridge lecture, ‘Scotland is more like Spain than Bengal is like the Punjab. . . This is the first and most essential thing to learn about India – that there is not, and never was an India.’ The vast diversity among Indian states made it impossible to think of them as one single nation. The name ‘India’ was merely used a label for convenience. Today, it is only because of the vision of our great leaders that we are able to breathe in a free India.

Attaining freedom was just the beginning, the actual problems had just begun, one of which was integration of princely states into the newly independent nations. A lot of politics happened over the accession of Princely states, which of the two newly born countries they should accede to, India or Pakistan? The Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir, Hari Singh had decided to stay independent unless any one nation deliberately tried to use violence against the Princely state; in that case it would accede to the other nation.However, following the attacks by Pakistan tribes, he wired Indian Government for military assistance. In return, he signed the document of accession on 26October, 1947.

Sheikh Abdullah, who had graduated from Aligarh Muslim University, emerged as the popular face among the people. During the Maharaja’s rule, he could not bag a government job despite his qualifications, as the administration at that time was dominated by Hindus. Through his personal experience, he had learnt that the only solution to this issue was turning Kashmir into a secular space. Thus he wanted the J&K not only for Muslims, but for the Hindus and Sikhs as well.

This brings us back to the irony of our present situation, where we are not even capable of watching a cricket match together, which apparently is meant to be fun. It is amusing how a simple game of cricket can culminate into people raising freedom slogans. This highlights what has been brewing in the valley from a long time, the simmering anger amongst the Kashmiri youth against the wrongs done to them under the garb of AFSPA and ultimately the demand for freedom. Armed Forces Special Powers Act was implemented in the valley on July 5, 1990, when the government had failed to maintain the law and order situation. This opaque piece of legislation might have been necessary at that time, but the present situation is different. It must be withdrawn from peaceful areas for starters, and subsequently, the legislation must be amended to make the armed forces accountable for the human rights abuse.

Instead of letting this incident just go as an another ‘incident of student activism’, which has been trending off-late, the Central Government must ponder over, that why the majority people of Kashmir, who were once ready to join India, today demand freedom from the same India? The present generation of Kashmiris has encountered the dark side of AFSPA and gone through the stigma of human rights abuse attached to it. And it is quite difficult to view things from a rational and neutral perspective once the personal loss is attached to the problem. I know it is too much to ask of the people of Kashmir, but few things must be forgiven, if not forgotten, for one’s own better future.

India has dealt with communal and sectarian ideologies in the past as well and always survived in the end; the people of India have always loved it back despite everything. India shall always stand as one pluralist and democratic nation, no matter what comes in it's way. As Ramchandra Guha writes in his book, India after Gandhi, “In Uri, sixty miles from Srinagar, there was a grave of a Christian soldier from Travancore, which had the Vedic Swastika and a verse from the Quran inscribed on it. There could be ‘no more poignant and touching symbol of the essential oneness and unity of India’.”

Since we live in a perfectly patriarchal society, one keeps coming across sexist remarks and incidents. The latest one was pulled by a restaurant‘Imperfecto’ in upscale market of Hauz Khas Village (HKV) in Delhi. The restaurant, in the name of light humour, had written on their signboard,“We don’t serve women, you must bring your own”. Well, complementing its name, the staff at Imperfecto has an imperfect, rather a poor sense of humour. Now they might excuse themselves by saying that it was just a joke, and all the feminists out there are being such killjoys, but we must remember that something is joked around only when we already believe in it to some extent; that’s what makes it laughable.

Many of us are regulars at HKV and totally love the place, but incidents like this remind us that misogyny can hit you right in the face anytime, even when you are walking among “nice and educated” people. When we talk of hi-end urban areas of India, it’s no longer about inequality in education or health, but of psychological inequality. Despite their qualifications, women are generally viewed as an exotic assembly of breasts, long legs and a vagina. The onus is totally on the women to repeatedly prove that she can be more than that.

Men are just not ready to treat women as an equal human being. Many of them think that, since they “allow” their wives to work, they support female rights. I wish somebody would ask them that who gave them the ‘right to allow’ at first place? In an another case, many of them blatantly say that females should stay away from cigarettes while it’s completely okay for males to smoke, citing all the medical reasons for how smoking is more harmful for females. Of course, it’s more injurious to the health of females, but it’s not like it’s doing any health wonders for males. These double standards remind me of an amazing quote I read somewherethat “Privilege is something when you think something is not a problem because it’s not a problem to you personally”. Either one should be completely against smoking for both the genders or openly accept the practice of smoking, but this time also for both the sexes.

We all are the product of society and culture we are born into, and our patriarchal setup has ensured that we see inheritance privileges, lineage and funeral rights as something naturally reserved for men. On April 2, a woman sarpanch in Chhattisgarh, Geeta Prahlad, had to pay with her life for fulfilling her mother’s last wish. Geeta’s mother, who was kicked out of the house by his son 22 years ago,lived with Geeta and wanted her to perform the last rites. Her elder brother, Santosh, for whom his mother was as good as dead all these years, suddenly felt that he was deprived of his funeral rights which our so called society has conferred on him.To take revenge and feed his big ego, he took it upon himself to murder his younger sister brutally, shouting at the same time that it was his right to perform the last rites. It is disappointing that economic and political independence is not sufficient to save women from the clutches of male chauvinism.

This rampant gender inequality refuses to die down because it is carefully nurtured by the well-heeled people. Even some sections of media explicitly indulge in sexism, because all they have got to talk about is Deepika’s cleavage or Kate Middleton’s upskirt. Times of India (TOI) either has an absolute dearth of meaningful news or an army of seriously sexist journalists, as they end up putting ‘Kate’s Marilyn moment at India gate’ on the front page shamelessly. After all, who cares about a lady paying respects at Amar Jawan Jyoti when her skirt does the magic for perverts in us. At the same time, it’s interesting how Kate gets criticized for everything from her skirt to her unpedicured toes, while Prince William manages to escape such inspection.

Last year also, TOI had printed something like “Deepika’s cleavage show”, circling and pointing arrows at Deepika Padukone’s cleavage. The actress was smart enough to retaliate in her Facebook post, that her reel life must be differentiated from her real life and if media doesn’t zoom in on a man’s crotch, the whymust a woman be subjected to such scrutiny? Art can demand an actress to be a Goddess, and the same art can demand her to be a prostitute, we must recognize the fact they are real human beings and that they have a life outside their profession. It’s time we gave the much needed respect that our women deserve, irrespective of their profession, religion and economic backgrounds.

In the post-world war era, many of us are often tempted to believe that we have tamed the rowdy business cycles and the haunting days of ‘The Great Depression of 1930s’ are well past us. Whether it were the 1973 oil crisis, the Asian Crisis of 1997 involving collapse of Thai currency or the Dot Com Bubble of 2000, somehow the repercussions were contained in a short span of time; and we thought we had entered the golden era of ‘The Great Moderation’.
Come 2008, the sub-prime mortgage crisis in US housing market jolted the world and the financial meltdown caused a global recession. While Merrill Lynch sold itself to Bank of America for $50 billion, half of its market value the previous year; Lehman Brothers failed to even find a buyer. Ultimately, it filed for bankruptcy and the Federal Reserve had to roll out a bailout package considering that these companies were “too big to fail”. Anyhow, it was a slow demise of Lehman Brothers and many other companies, which led to a total global loss of around $15 trillion.
Since then, the investors have been careful with their money. Many investors of industrialized nations have preferred to use their cash surpluses for innovative start-ups. Recently, India, too has been riding on the start-up wave, especially tech start-ups. Some of them have earned quite a name in the market for themselves. A new term, 'Unicorn' has been coined for those enterprises which reach $1 billion mark, and 142 companies already qualify for the tag. Some of the big-wigs of start-up world include Flipkart, Zomato, Uber, Snapchat, Pinterest, Quikr and Dropbox.
To encourage young entrepreneurs, Prime Minister Modi has also launched a scheme ‘Start up India, Stand up India’. Under the scheme, the government promises to simplify the start-up process, develop start-up hubs to enable knowledge exchange, provide 80 per cent rebate on filling patent applications, and develop 35 new incubators and 31 new innovation centers. Talking of China, which has 780 government guided funds to finance start-ups, government is very much eager to boost the entrepreneurial spirit through financial aid and favorable policies. In a similar fashion, the Indian government has also decided to launch a government fund with a corpus of 10,000 crore. Although the scheme sounds promising in terms of reducing the red tape, the success will depend on how seriously it is executed over the next few years.
Once again, investors seem very cheerful about the boom in the market. Due to the fear of missing out, investors with deep pockets are more than willing to burn cash and make new riches before somebody else takes the money home. Companies like Uber are able to spend fortunes to keep their drivers on the road, thanks to the endless stream of money that venture capitalists and angel investors put in. However, as the initial phase of euphoria fizzles out, companies like Zomato, housing.com and food delivery app Tiny Owl have carried out layoffs; and people have started asking questions. Are we about to meet an another cousin of 2000 Dot-Com Bubble, where initially, even an updation of website design would lead to 1000% increase in stock price, and later on the bubble bursted into a spectacular fiasco.

Is the bubble real?
One cannot outrightly deny that the start-up fetish is slowly turning into a bubble. Most of the investments are based on the net present value (NPV) of future earnings. Thus the fundamental value of these companies is much less than the publicized values. Year by year, these companies are generating losses, hoping to earn profits in future, and continue to give huge discounts to attract customers. E-retailers, for instance, are having an average loss of 140 rupee per item.
Why are the start-up profits moving at a snail’s pace in India? The peculiar demographics of India are also at play here. Two-thirds of Indians are under 35, which make up the biggest age group for using internet. However, internet connectivity is very low and most of the people cannot access broadband services. Secondly, the per capita income in India is at Rs 72,889 for 2014-15, as per Central Statistical Office (CSO) data, which is not even one-fourth of China’s per capita income. People have little money to spend and they are not yet ready to trust the online modes or new born startups. In such a scenario, it becomes imperative to capture maximum number of customers and reap economies of scale. Many industries are disintegrated right now and will become profitable only when few large players are left. E-commerce players, Flipkart, Amazon, and Snapdeal are the three biggest players in the Indian market. Flipkart, with largest market share, merely controls 5% share of the market while on a similar pattern, Alibaba, in China, controls 80% share of the Chinese market. Thus, in the long term, if Flipkart wants to be India’s Alibaba, it will have to emerge out as the biggest player.

Will the crash happen anytime soon?
Indian start-ups wave is still at an embryonic stage. There is a long time before the bubble bursts. Many of the big companies have a fair chance of survival, although they might lose their value after a skeptical valuation. These companies have innovative business models and some part of the discounts they offer is financed by their savings from not having to invest in Brick-and-Mortar model. At the end of the bubble, mature companies will emerge out as winners. Rest of them will be acquired or be merged with the leading companies, for instance, Mumbai based CarTrade, which deals in second-hand autos, acquired its rival CarWale, eliminating it’s competition.

Who is going to be affected, if at all the bubble bursts?
Most of the start-ups are still private. To go public, first they need to be listed on stock exchanges. So the general public is hardly at risk as far as retail investing is concerned. They might take a little hit if they own mutual funds which have further invested in start-ups. Otherwise, there is not much loss.
Venture capitalists are at utmost risk, but the money is mostly coming through foreign players, who have a greater risk appetite and have secured their positions through various safety clauses. Most of these investors take preferred stocks which gives them preference to recover their investment amount prior to anybody else in the case of liquidation. So, they will be the first ones to jump off a ship in distress. Also, we must not forget that the captain goes down with the ship. Thus, the founder of the company is most vulnerable, not to mention the employees of the company as well. They will suffer the most as they lose their livelihood once the company lands in trouble.

How to survive through the Bubble burst?
Despite all the uncertainty surrounding the future of start-ups, India has received $5bn in investment 2015 alone. It is quite a phenomenon in itself, since India was hardly trusted with such amounts before. In return, the start-ups need to be flexible in their approach. Cash must be used more for investment purpose rather than consumption expenditure, else it will only add to their debt with zero addition to the assets. More importantly, they need to be open to dilution of control. They say that the worst mistake a movie director can make is to fall in love with his own movie. Thus the budding entrepreneurs should be bold enough to merge and share control with other body corporates, if the need arises. And last but not the least; innovation is the driving fuel of start-up sensation. Therefore, young entrepreneurs need to continually improve and innovate to keep alive the interest of their customer.

“He is the lord of stars, planets and all constellations. He is the origin of everything in the universe and is the cause of the lustre of even the brilliant ones. Salutations to Thee who is the One being manifest in the twelve forms of the Sun.”

Since the dawn of time man has been curiously fascinated and at awe by the power of Sun. This is why sun has been worshipped by many cultures all over the world. Even thousands of years ago man knew the value and importance of sun light on our daily life and planned things accordingly. World renowned yoga expert and teacher BKS Iyengar said this about Surya Namaskar “The rhythm of the body, the melody of the mind & the harmony of the soul create the symphony of life.” And that is the exact function of the sun because it has the power to conduct the symphony of life.

History of Surya Namaskar

There are many stories behind the origin of Surya Namaskar but the most accepted form has been the story of Hunuman seeking knowledge from the sun god or Surya. Since the sun god never stops for anyone Hanuman had to move constantly so he positioned himself with his face to Surya's, which meant he was travelling backward so always facing his teacher. This is where the origins of this ancient spiritual exercise take shape. The backward­-moving trajectory of surya namaskar the movements required for an individual to do because you do tend to wind up at the back of your and then have to return to the front to continue the series. Also after the education of Hanuman was over in a remarkable period of just one week as a “Guru Dakshina” he would offer namaskars to Sun God on a daily basis.

There are a set of 12 fixed, cyclic postures in Surya namaskar which has the power to rejuvenate the human body. Practicing regular Surya namaskar have helped individuals detoxify their body and mind because the ancient people more than 5000 years ago knew the strength and benefit from Yoga, and soon realized that the morning rays have therapeutic properties. This is method which helps us get our body in sync solar cycle and to the lunar cycle. The 12 postures of Surya Namaskar should be done at the time of sunrise because the morning rays are very therapeutic and it revitalizes the body refreshes the mind and prepares us for all tasks of the day. The entire postures act as warm-ups before one starts with various Asanas and it should be done only on an empty stomach because that will help you in a good way to lose weight.

Health benefits

Long before Nicolaus Copernicus discovered that the earth revolved around the Sun, we in India knew its divine source of energy. All over the world great civilizations have worshipped the sun one way or the other and all have deep spiritual and physical meaning. The Greeks called the Sun god Helius, the Romans called sun Titan and Hyperoin and for the Egyptians it was Ra. Surya Namaskar is not just a physical activity it is medical science because sun’s rays has nutrients like vitamin D which gives us the power for calcium absorption in the intestine and make our bones strong to prevent rachitism in both children and adults and osteoporosis in elders. Surya Namaskar can act as a preventive measure against cancer of colon, breast, leukemia and lymphomas. Also regular yoga helps strengthen our heart muscles, improve stamina, metabolism and motion.

Surya Namaskar can help fight Stress

These are strange times for all of us where we are constantly plagued by stress at the work place which leads to various physical and emotional problems. But sadly the level of stress in recent times has increased exponentially among children which can cause serious developmental issues. Childhood is the time for having fun and learning new things and the rise of stress related issues can have lasting impact because their body, mind and spirit are in its infancy. Surya Namaskar can help children boost their endurance, increase concentration and help them face life challenges. When the mind is at ease the body is also at ease hence a child can be more active because they are our future.

Surya Namaskar is a very simple way to prepare your body and allow it do things which you did not comprehend or thought it was not possible. Through the practice of Surya Namaskar, one can attain physical stability and mastery over the system i.e Indriyas or control of your senses. When a person starts to do yoga it is unlike any other form of physical exercise because you will feel a change within your body in just few days because what is inside is more important. Many practitioners such has leading yoga studio like Barbican Yoga Café have said regular Surya namaskar have given them the power of patience and self control and the lack of both are a malady for our body, mind and spirit.

P.S

We have taken some input from Sumit Sandhu from Barbican Yoga Cave from London who runs a Yoga Studio.

Getting into college is one of the major milestones of a person’s life. Not in terms of professionalism but in the rule of life. College changes you. It grooms you, helps you discover contours of your personality that you begin to embrace with pride and more than that, it makes you “cool”. Don’t believe me? Well those who have finished college should scroll down on fb to see how they looked in the first year and how their appearance has drastically changed over the three years of college!

It’s not just in terms of appearances that one can change, even the attitudes of a person are influenced by his/her peers, even teachers! Priorities are inversed and crumbled and a new set of priorities envelope you. If you are a fresher and concerned about all these sudden changes, fret not, it’s a college thing. More than that however, it’s a DU trend.

While most colleges follow the same pattern in terms of grooming a person’s personality, DU is far ahead in terms of changing a person’s preferences. The second you get past the first semester as a fresher, your priority shifts from scoring the highest marks to scoring the coolest friend. Your eyes are always glued on that one person you want to be friends with or that one cool group you want to be a part of. After all you need to make the three years of your college count? You start emphasising on the kinds of stories you will tell your kids someday. (It has to be a cool one)

Three months into college, you would find people forming peer groups based in this order:

The Nerds: The cluster of intellects who would know more than the teachers

The Onlookers: This is the set of people who have come to learn and take notes down like it’s the recipe to an elixir of immortality

Confused opportunists: They are still not sure if they want to be in the course or shift to another one

Modest Outfits: People who get along due to their fair sense of fashion and comparatively small budgets

The Union material: This bunch already knows enough people to influence the vote count of third year elections.

Now the Plastics get major attention in the first two years of college. It’s typically DU in terms of materialism which is taught through experience. Now let’s see the psyche behind it. The plastics are the celebrities. They already have what one seeks to achieve in their lives, which is money, good looks, comfort etc. You want to be associated with them, sometimes to learn, sometimes out of curiosity and mostly out of your need to look cool. However, by the end of third year you will all realize the farce that is life of a DU student, not in a bad sardonic way, but in a funny way.

All this materialism helps in achieving a final revelation that makes you the person you want to be. It teaches you to be modern and active. Most students regret their lack of participation in college societies, not just because it makes you popular but also because it makes you informed and exposes you to the professional side of the activity.

DU has many colours but most of all, it grooms an individual. Its love for good looks, fashion and being trendy drives the life segments of students. Even its newsletter, DU Beat is all about fests and events which revolve around the trend setting lot of students. Life in DU is quite eventful. It makes you connect and shows you the filmy angle of a student’s life.

The Invisibles: They take time surfacing.

The Plastics(quote Mean Girls): Now the plastics are not just It girls, in DU guys occupy a fair amount of space in these groups. They are mostly rich ‘brats’ who shop from Zara or maybe shop Palika, quote Zara types

SHOOTING SCENES WERE “WITHOUT PERMISSION”

Scenes of the upcoming movie, Udta Punjab, featuring Kareena kapoor with the Punjabi superstar, Diljit Dosanjh was shooted at various locations in the city of Amritsar. Undoubtedly it generated a lot of buzzes, however, the film was being shot “without the permission” of the district administration and the police authorities, which they claim is “mandatory” as reported by the police officials and the state commissioner.

NO CROWD -SAFETY MEASUREMENTS FOR THE FILMSTARS

Surprisingly, there was no help asked from local authorities while shooting was facilitated. Confirming the same, Amritsar police commissioner, Jatinder Singh Aulakh has claimed that the filmmakers had not even asked for security, which is usually required for the safety of film stars and to control the crowd, which could go berserk and upset the law and order situation.

THE CENSOR BOARD HAS ASKED FOR 89 SCENES CUT

The cranky regressive minds of the Censor Board for films, have further added to the troubles for the filmmakers of Udta Punjab as they have asked them to remove any reference to towns and cities and the elections held in the state (89 scenes get a straight “NO”), along with the name “PUNJAB” to be removed as well. So what could be some suggestive names? “UDTA” or “UDTA INDIA”?

(Hilarious!)

MOVIE IS NOT BASED ON BOTTOMLESS FACTS

Reacting to the trailer which has created ripples within Punjab already, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) MLA from Khem Karan Virsa Singh Valtoha has said: “this film is an outcome of a trend to defame Punjab and its youth”. However, the makers have claimed that the movie’s story line is inspired by an investigative article in a National magazine that shook the nation. It was reported based on a study; Punjab's opioid dependents are four times more than the global average. Also clearing the fact that the film does not hold the agenda to spread negativity about the State or any considerable references.

NO SINGLE SCENE OF SHAHID AND KAREENA TOGETHER

With a bitter history of a broken relationship, Shahid kapoor and Kareena Kapoor Khan are not sharing any scenes or have shot together in the movie. Rather, Kareena is paired with Punjab’s heartthrob, Diljit Dosanjh.All those waiting for Shahid and Kareena to reunite (atleast on screen), this could be a heart-breaking news for you.

THE SONG ‘CHITTA VE’ WAS SHOOTED WITH LIVE AUDIENCE

Shahid Kapoor’s Chitta Ve song from the film, which has already struck the right chord among the audience, was interestingly shot with live audience. Yes, you read it right! As soon as the word spread about Shahid shooting in the vicinity, hundreds of people thronged the film’s sets with full excitement and euphoria. This is the exact thing that the makers were looking for

Sadly, there’s a bad news of the song shall not be a part of the movie are spread. Let’s hope, it is just a rumor!

ALIA BHATT: THE MOVIE WAS NOT EVEN OFFERED TO ME

Alia Bhatt, who has played the role of a migrant from Bihar in the movie, is already adding the twist to the tale, was not even offered the movie at first. As Alia had told to daily, "Udta was not even offered to me. No one, including the director, thought that I will do the film so he did not come to me with it. Shahid gave me the film to just read. He asked me, 'Tell me what you think of it'. I read it and fell in love with the film. That's how it happened," she told.

But with a power-packed performance revealed in the trailer itself, Alia is all set to prove that she’s not just a pretty face.

With an exuberant and larger than life trailer, the movie definitely promises huge to the audience who are eagerly waiting to watch it. Let’s hope the movie stands out to such expectations, which is already stinging the regressive minds because of its controversial highlights.

Flipkart, a name that every metropolitan urbanite uses in daily conversations. ‘Hey! Any idea where will I get this phone at a reasonable rate?’ , replying to this as: “Flipkart pe dekh le!”(Have a look at what Flipkart has to offer). From latest mobile phones to kid’s apparel, Flipkart is a on-stop-destination. With the largest piece in the Indian e-tail pie , Flipkart held its valuation at $15 billion , however facing a great setback on may 2016, when the valuation of the company had fallen to $11.1billion by Morgan Stanely ( a 25% downfall), further to $9 billion, now. Most probably it’s a result of uncertainty among the company’s investors whether the online retailer, “poster boy of Indian startups “, Flipkart would give a tough hand to the growing market share of AMAZON and it’s other giant rivalries.

Bona fide sources have claimed that the fall could be the aftereffect of reshuffling of management heads, as the long-term face of Flipkart , CEO, Sachin Bansal stepped aside to let his co-founder Binny Bansal to take the charge. Even, old and long employees, Mukesh Bansal , Ankit Nagori and Sillicon Valley returned, product division head, Punit Soni have left the shelter to start their own – ventures . In February, this year, Flipkart had shut down it’s grocery app, citing low consumer demand. Also, T Row, renowned investors of Flipkart since 2014, marked down its stake over the company by 15%. Some of the even early investors of the largest Indian E-commerce player, have also called -off their stakes in as signs of “under-confidence in investor “ sentiment. IDG for example, which was an early investor in Flipkart, recently sold off its remaining 0.9% stake after selling close to 1% last year , as reported.

A rumor spreading across had claimed that Flipkart had turned to the common backer of all : God of big Indian e-commerce businesses, ‘the mighty’, Alibaba, .But to no avail, as it refused to drop in fresh capital to the venture at the current valuations. Trying to cover some of its burns, Flipkart is making attempts to reduce its fixed cost burden, according to a report of ET.

Pessimism and misfortune spread all over, Flipkart seems to be witnessing gloomy days for quite a long time. Maybe, it could be the ‘great tumble’ or an unexpected rise of the giant E-commerce jock. But for now, only catastrophes seem to have been coming in the way of Flipkart’s fate. Latterly, Flipkart had seemingly grab attention of all the news channels and national daily, wherein the e-commerce hulk had screwed up with its recruitment details for the chosen 18 IIM- Ahmedabad graduates.

IIMians , the super geniuses , now on “sticky wicket” as Flipkart , the promiser of “100% Guarantee” had deferred the joining dates of the fresh recruits from June to as late as December . So far , the reputed IIM- Ahmedabad has reported the issue ,sending an extremely tenacious – worded letter to Flipkart , marking other B-schools as well, like , IIM- Bangalore , IIM- Lucknow and Faculty of Management (FMS) Delhi. Confirming the reply to which, both the institutes, IIM-L and IIM-B have mull to take further legitimate actions. Flipkart’s representatives, in their statement have justified to have taken this step by stating that “.the ongoing restructuring, the campus program will also go through a comprehensive overhaul to ensure that it is in line with our new business structure and that our campus recruits start working towards larger company goals from Day One. “, basically goofing-up the recruitment process for a benefit of the freshers, at large. Disappointed students, unsatisfied to such statement, have nothing left but to look only for other job alternatives .

Flipkart has definitely made them deem to one of their campaign’s tag line of “#ACHAKIYAJONAHILIYA” . But as it seems to be, it has done actually no good to the IIM pass outs. Paying heed to the undergoing stress of the students, Sapna Aggrawal , head of Career and Development services , IIM-A and IIM-B , has proposed a joint call with the stakeholders and other B-schools . She has also made a statement regarding the dilemma of the flummoxed students over either to wait till settlement of the issue or look for alternatives, as mentioned in a press. In consideration to which , Nitin Seth, Chief people Officer ,Flipkart , had addressed the situation ‘difficult’ to come up with a just solution , and further said that “It is important for us to bring our new campus recruits into an environment that is conducive to their learning and overall development,".

Sadly, the incident has shaken the entire pool of ‘talented’ students who had prior belief over the strength of the brand. As per one of the official blogging content, the incident shall carry the bitter traces in future as well, since prospective engagement of Flipkart with b-school campuses is bound to be stirred, as mistrust and lack of transparency can never be beneficial for any professional relationship. Also, the amount of 1.5 lakh offered as joining bonus hardly qualifies as compensation for seven months of forced unemployment. The unilateral decision shall severely affect the students who have gathered huge loans to pursue their education at such premium institute, financially. Resurfacing the urgency , the decision taking faculty at IIM with the campus perception of recruiters trickling down from one batch to the next, can significantly hurt Flipkart as a established brand, on campus during subsequent rounds of campus hiring in the years to come.

The ‘Anti- Flipkart squad’ of all placement heads and placement committees of all colleges, have decided to come forward in support of the affected students and would like to have a common conference call with the present CEO (Binny Bansal) to find an amicable solution. Further, the committee has demanded an undertaking signed by the CEO guaranteeing that every one of these selected students will be absorbed when the date of joining is finalized, no later than December. Also, that ‘either the period of deferment needs to be scaled down or the quantum of compensation for deferment needs to be ramped up (1.5 lakhs for a period of seven months is, to put it mildly, utterly unacceptable) to reflect x% of package’. The obligations are definitely minimal and are thus, required to be fulfilled in shorter span of time, for the satiety of both the parties.

Following the similar steps, Snapdeal , the evil stepbrother of Flipkart ,along with other booming companies like OLA, Uber and Quikr have significantly slashed the joining bonuses by 50 % and linking the pay to the performance of the individuals. The monopolist in e- payment, Paytm and the upcoming startup, LimeRoad have even declined to adhere to the policy of joining bonuses.

Making hollow commitments of hiring E-commerce biggie Flipkart is likely to lose its 'day one' status in Indian Institutes of Technology's (IIT's) campus placement programs, as a consequence of its clash with IIM . Due to cut-down shares and profits, increasing the growing numbers of doubtful investors, these tech-giants have been more cautious in selecting the recruits and their pay. With the funding frenzy cooling down and concerns of a valuation bubble rising, the tech-biz gurus have even become out of sight in campus selection days.

The Superhero startups seems to be going through a ‘ struggling phase’ all over again , since their beginning .all that can be asked for is that , Flipkart should hold on to its words of promise, i.e., “AB Har Wish Hogi Puri (Now, every desire shall be fulfilled) to win over the lost trust of its shattered, broken- hearted recruits. Also the “ Dil ki deal” of Snapdeal should give fair deals to the fresh talents who are eager to take a sight into the new ideas of business.

Child delivery is one of the most poignant moments in the life of a woman because the entire episode is about birth and rebirth. It is the beginning of a new circle of life because after the child comes into this world life changes. Child birth is one of the most natural processes in the world but it is also filled with danger when it comes to the safety of mother and child which is why throughout the ages women have practiced yoga as an excellent preparation for labor and delivery because the various asanas focus on stretching, strengthening the body and breathing.

Yoga is the most potent way to develop focus which is very important during this delicate time and also it creates a inner awareness so that would be mother can have clear head and not get distracted and just go with the moment. By maintain this rhythm during the birthing process it becomes less stressful for the mother and the movement of the baby through the birth canal. Since yoga revolves around improving breathing techniques which is essential when the child is being pushed out of the birth canal it actually helps in having deep focus throughout delivery.

Fact is many of the stretch movements of hatha yoga stimulate a very gentle massage for the baby, which in relaxation. Women who had given birth before actually expe notice that the babies they carried when they practiced in prenatal hatha yoga tend to stretch more and are more relaxed during the labor.The more healthy a pregnant woman is will have a direct impact on her baby and Hatha yoga practice help women to keep the the mind focused, and the body becomes strong and flexible.

After delivery many women find it difficult to recuperate but those women who practiced yoga not only had a more simple birthing experience they found themselves in a position to become active and getting back into shape faster. The breathing and relaxation techniques are helpful, along with some asanas which helps individual get their old postures and help to bring the body back into shape and in return give you more energy and focus which is much needed to take care of the new baby. That is why it is important to seek a teacher who has formal training through a reputed and accredited institute which is known for prenatal yoga.

One of the most joys moments in the life of women is when she is with a child. It is a wondrous time in a woman's life, when she experiences changes at both physical and emotional level which is why utmost care must taken and given during this happy but delicate journey. For a healthy outcome of pregnancy many experts in the field of prenatal health agree that hatha yoga practice is an effective way to prepare women for childbirth and to minimize discomforts of pregnancy.

It is helpful if a women is already practicing yoga before she gets pregnant, however if that is not the case one can take the advice of an expert and begin hatha yoga practice in a gentle way during the full term. Hatha asanas can be safely practiced by women of normal health or anyone who have may or may not have had complications related to past pregnancies. However it is strongly advised seek instruction from a qualified teacher who is a trained in prenatal Yoga specialist and is familiar with physical problems faced by women during pregnancy.

Hatha Yoga and Childbirth

Hatha yoga is an ancient, safe and natural method to prepare women for childbirth. It helps with breathing and relaxation techniques because these will come handy during labor. Also the various asanas help in stretching and strengthening of the body. Practices of yoga have helped women reducing stress levels, depression, giving relief to back and joint pain. When a women is pregnant it is important she gets lots of sleep which some women find it difficult. But yoga can help women get better sleep which will give them increased energy levels and lessen nausea. Pregnancy is not just about the health of women it also involves the health and development of the fetus but Yoga can help with increased blood supply and nourishment which is vital for a fetal development.

Other aspect of yoga is to give a individual the power of control over their body and during pregnancy a women’s body goes through a ocean of change and this includes both physical and mental. Many women begin to feel weighed down during the course of their pregnancy and hatha asanas can help with the process of regaining personal power by helping women refocus and balance their energy. It is important to remain in a positive state of mind and embrace the change your body is going through and yoga will allow you to have a deeper connection with your body and it becomes easier to accept the changes that are taking place and more importantly create a sacred bond with child long before delivery.

The room full of utter darkness and silence had turned into a clamorous bunch of sounds, when, ‘RAJ’ the hero, had slammed the glass door so hard that it could have made the dead awake. The wolves in the front row start to howl and whistle on his unbeatable dance moves over the catchy tune of the movie title. Almost everyone sobbed over the death of his beloved friend and sweared over their ‘true friendship’. But, the climax had definitely made everyone stuck to their seats when ‘Raj’ fought with 20 men, single handedly and made even the brute father to give away his heart and his beautiful daughter to our hero ‘Raj’. The room was again filled with the of a sound of claps showing jubilance on the victory of true love. That’s the magic of ‘INDIAN CINEMA’, offering diverse emotions over sequels of actions, dance, love story, and friendship: some base ingredients of any Indian movie.

The “filmi” blood definitely runs through our veins, as Indian cinema has taken the first position in terms of annual film output in the world.

But the world of Indian cinema is not just confined to one interest, one person or any predictive story line; it seeks to capture the beauty of everything in completely peculiar way. Indian directors have a thoughtful and a creative approach to depict the reality of life and it’s fortitude to meet its basic needs, which has won over several hearts of the spell-bounded audiences. Even the ideal ‘Indian hero’ has been reconstructed all over again.

FROM “MACHO” TO “CHOCOLATE BOY”

In the 40s, the Golden era of Bollywood industry, was flourishing with some fine actors and international award winning films like KAGAZ KE PHOOL of the bulky mustached Raj Kapoor, Mehboob khan’s MOTHER INDIA to the birth of “Anarkali” in Mughal-e- Azam with some cherished songs for generations to come. The 50s era was dominantly under the charm of Dillip kumar for the audience singing to the melodies of the romantic hero, Rajesh Khanna and yodeling to the craziness of Dev Anand over the compositions of Kishor Kumar and R.D. Burman.The 70s and 80s belonged to the tall, “angry young man”, Amitabh Bachchan,who had energized the youth with his larger than life movies like Zanjeer, Deewar and Agneepath,the ‘inventor’ of bellbottoms and side burns with a majestic style and capability to tackle the rough and tough villains, who have given almost an heatstroke with their threatening appearances and the beast, “respect –taker” of every fragile women. The 90’s belonged to the “lover boy “, king (“baadshah “) of romance, Sharukh khan. His charms and over –the –top boldness was a style statement to every young boy going to college with a latent desire to find his ‘ perfect Simran’ of dreams. From super –catchy tunes to the symphonies of romantic songs, Sharukh had made even the girls lose their mind over his charismatic personality. He had become so popular among the young generation that it even served to pose a threat to the experienced co-actors of his times, from the muscular, Sunny Deol to the dashing, Ajay Devgan.

FROM DREADLY LOOTERA TO AN EVIL SCIENTIST

From Gabbar of Sholay to “kaal” of krishh 3, they all have made a significant entry, almost taking away the heart beats of all the spectators. They have appeared to be so dreadful and ruthless,that made even the mothers to warn their children each time they tried to do any mischief,by saying “ Soja beta, warna Gabbar aajyega” ( Sleep, my son, or else Gabbar will be after you ). Even the heroines were snatched off from their macho –mans, giving an unspoiled twist to every Hindi plot. The idea of the villain in Indian movies, has most appropriately taken inspiration from the clever, supreme and the father of all villains, RAAVAN. However, just like Ramayana, each story has concluded on a happy note, depicting the triumph of good over the evil.

EVERGREEN BEAUTY TO AN UNCOVENTIONAL LUCY

Over and above everything was the transformation within the women league, which has glorified over the time, the “ evergreen’’ Hema Malini to the “Queen” of hearts, Kangana Ranawat, who have become the heartthrob of every Indian man and even won awards at the national level as well. Their grace, timeless beauty and their fashion sense which had been always cutting the edge, attempts to inspire the Indian woman in every walk of life. From elegantly draped sarees to bellbottoms,miniskirts,tank tops and so on.. have been adopted as a trending fashion. The Indian heroines have been always admired for their flawless beauty and charm that makes the hero, fall for her every time. Thus, undoubtingly, the infamous Bollywood actress, Katrina Kaif, received an international acknowledgement as she became the face of ‘ Barbie’ for her incomparable looks and a perfect template, to be idolized by women of all ages. To add the taste of reality to the superficial characters new Hindi movies depict women to be shown with boldness in terms of carrying herself and celebrating womanhood. Movies like Kahaani, Queen, English Vinglish to NH10 are movies wherein the woman protagonist had stolen the show.

FROM “MEANING” TO PURE “MASALA”

However, being subject to a large number of audience, films are always perceived differently by sections of characterized watchers. Hence, the evolution of Bollywood is nothing but the change in the outlook of the spectators due to the growing need to be “modern” with time.Inspiring from the Hollywood action sequels and boldness, the Indian audience has always expected more from Bollywood, to which the birth of several concepts like, “ MASALA” film and high budget films that are being shooted in foreign locales has taken place.

NOTE : A “masala” movie is the one which serves to provide action sequels, along with a romantic love story, groovy dance steps and a class-apart music album ( just the one described in the beginning) The “item numbers” which were earlier considered as “taboo” now seem to be the ‘hit machine’ for every flick. Even the songs which earlier were composed in consideration to depict the “Indian values” are now no less than a senseless rhyming jingles, at large.

From all time loved songs of Kishor kumar, India’s nightingale Lata mangeshkar, Jagjit Singh,Sadhana sangam and so many to named to the new and fresh singers like Arijit Singh, and the versatile playback singers like Sunidhi Chauhan, Sonu Nigam, Mohit Chauhan and many upcoming talents have taken over the Indian music industry.

Giving a new edge to the Indian music industry, is the famous rapper and composer, YO YO HONEY SINGH ( as he is famously known as ) in a lead over Baadshah, Raftaar, A-bazz and more.Pre-this era,Bollywood music which was dominantly Hindi lyrical songs is now being largely captured under the growing love for Punjabi songs and the meaningful “in-depth” Sufi rhythms. Yet, somewhere or the other, the bollywood music seems to lose it’s real essence in terms of explicit lyrics.

From ‘neele neele ambar par’ to ‘aaj blue hai paani’, the words seem to just lose their point. Accepting the fact, such songs are the ‘party –breakers’ and under the ‘must play’ list of every disco and lounges, they sometimes seem to annoy a segmented crowd. Undenying the fact, vague words sung on raunchy tunes often seem to attract the young generation and also subject to controversies, which further adds to their popularity.

Angered over the song of Honey Singh, “ main balatkari”, which only later people had came to know that it had been not penned down by the rapper himself, had took huge publicity, in the backdrop of a recent case of gang rape. The ‘yo yo’ rapper had always took the center of the stage for his contentious compositions, but still manages to be a major ‘youth –lover’. He had also became the judge of a television show, first ever of its kind, “India ‘s Raw Star” attracting good TRP.

A “NEW” AND POSITIVE CHANGE

From bollywood songs to the movie conceptualization, to the idolization of a ‘perfect man’ and the myths of a beautiful woman, all seem to be a journey of thousand miles proposing indiscriminate thoughts and inculcating assorted experiences.Each time the spectators enter the ‘dark room’ they come out with a mixed bag of emotions and learning the already learnt. From the sense of sheer joy to inspiration, bollywood has evolved from being a source of entertainment to the voice of youth. Films like RANG DE BASANTI, UDAAN, 3 IDIOTS, TAARE ZAMEEN PAR and NO ONE KILLED JESSICA have encouraged the youth to stand up for their rights and making them aware of such incidents as well. Issues like child molestation, the ruthlessness of politics and medically diagnosed reading disorder, dyslexia and rare genetic disorder, progeria ( in the movie ‘ PAA’) has actually made the audiences aware and be more sensitive to such issues which were earlier ignored by the society.

Perceptions to such novelties have always been grasped differently. To some this revolution is simply a characteristic of ‘modernization’ and boldness of expressions, but to others, this appears to be the growth of Indian cinema, globally. Which side holds the truth, or do they both complement each other is a tangled thought to give. As of now, nothing can be predicted just like that climax of a suspense thriller where the mystery is yet to be solved. All what sounds rational is to sit and ‘watch’ what ‘the show’ promises, because “picture abhi baaki hai mere,dost” ( the show is not over yet, my friend). So let the ‘black room’ always be a box of surprise, waiting for the spectators to be astounded.

Are you one of those who are always conscious of how they look, what clothes they wear when they go out, and what make up they put on?

This summer, get a makeover in the best and latest styles and single out in the crowd of millions. There was a time when sophistication was the order of the day; but the present era is the age of carefreeness, comfortable yet elegant self.

WATCH OUT BEFORE YOU TAKE A LOAD: Carry a small sling bag instead of loading a heavy weight bag on your back to avoid sweating and uneasiness. The lighter you go, the better you feel.

LOCK THE FALL: Let your hair be tied in a messy bun or high ponytail to suit the latest trends. Let us say, give a halt to your ever favourite hair falling loose on you back. If you still feel the need to open, then wear a scarf to avoid direct contact of your hair on your neck as it causes irritation and sweating.

MINIMAL ACCESSORIES COVER UP: It is a time when neck pieces and bracelets kill away your patience and burden you with uneasiness. Be free, and don’t overload yourself with things that don’t matter. You look beautiful just the way you are, small artificial things don’t add to your glow, except on some occasions when your attire demands the presence of your accessory.

HATS ON: Hats are trendy, it add stars to your one piece knee- length western outfit or a vibrant trendy loose fitting garment. Not only this, it even protects your head from burning hot in afternoons and protects your eyes from direct sunlight. Let your style be complemented with styles that matter.

NO BRIGHT OVER RATED MAKE UP: Make up in summer should just be to lighten dark pores to remove visible blemishes. It shouldn’t be dark and excessive. Make it as light as possible, preferably just wear eye make- up. A liner and mascara on your eyes and a simple lip gloss will make your face glow satiating the feel of finishing touch.

This is the most important part of your attire- confidence. No matter how costly and perfect fitted clothes you are wearing, you would still look horrible if you are unable to carry yourself. ‘Beauty lies within you’; wear what suits your body. Create your own fashion. Fashion, today, is not determined by what is sold in the market, but the set combination of what you wear to suit your personality. Be simple and elegant. Remember, the clothes you wear don’t define you but your confidence. Your elegance is your precious possession. Be smart, confident, dynamic and shine around in all weather throughout your existence.

Stop being conscious, redefine your own self with what you think perfectly suits you.

Be a newer you- because we respect uniqueness.

Atychiphobia : the abnormal, persistent fear of FAILURE.

The one diagnosed with such condition, tends to have the aversion to risk taking and leads a ‘clinched’ life. The victim considers his situation as unreal which makes it largely a subconscious problem. That’s something the unequivocal source on the internet says.

What does it actually connote?

Living in a world full of opportunities with a high probability that it shall be a ‘ bright sunny’ day, yet wearing a raincoat to the office in the non-bearing scorching heat. Now, think that it has actually rained, and so wearing a raincoat turns out to be fruitful, but now another fear of facing a flood may boil up.

What would be step two ? Arranging a boat and call off the work?. Sounds absurd ?. It could be, but not for those actually undergoing this riotous experience. Some of the reasons of being detected to such phobia are heredity, genetics, brain chemistry and life experiences. Majorly, being extensively traumatized or embarrassed due to a life incident can enhance your chances to be a victim of Atychiphobia. Worse of everything is that, it is most common among young school children, who are under constant pressures of competition and ‘scoring high ‘ burden. The child witnesses the symptoms of increased heartbeat, high blood pressure, nausea, shortness of breath and a massive destruction to self-confidence resulting into depression, as per a study. The sufferer, his family, specifically parents and sometimes even the school turns a blind-eye to such traces. “If your child can’t stand the competition, I fear what he’ll do in his life “, “ you have to hit the sky, my child, the world out there is full of competition “ or “ don’t make excuses to avoid studying!” – are some of the most commonly heard remarks to the victim. Dear parents and teachers, ever wondered about the other side of the story? What if your child is unable to handle so much, since he was not born with this latent talent of becoming ‘ #1’, what if he lacks the capability to excel academically and secretly watches the football tournament every time you close the door and expect him to study, or what if he is actually having a mental breakdown due to excessive stress but never turned up to you, only if you had ever understood him. All of this could be true or maybe not, but in most of the cases, the child has been never provided with any priority pertaining to his own intellectual thoughts or his ‘unidealistic’ capabilities. Talking about one of such incidents, where a boy of age 17 had committed suicide or more precisely, died out of unfulfilled expectations of his family, as he had managed to score “only 60 percent” in his class 12th results. Even though “ the family did not raise the issue with him”(let’s believe this ), he was so terrorized that he couldn’t turn to his family and ended his life behind a closed door. This is what stirred the neighbourhood after the results were declared. Another boy of the same age,from a nearby district of Coimbatore, had collapsed to the fear of failing even before the results were announced. His ’ redundant’ score was 71 percent. The son of a retired postal employee, had expressed his fears already to his parents, but unable to gather some courage to tackle the forthcoming situation, he gave up, only when his parents had gone out. A failure to even escape her failure, had made the public take a notice of the rising numbers of suicide, when a girl of age 17 had devised a plan to end ‘it’ up, as her parents had forced her to take the stream of not her choice. When she had barely able to pass the subject, she slit her wrist after being scolded by her parents – as reported in a national daily.

With the highest numbers of suicide in India, according to W.H.O, where every hour 15 people give up on their lives!.The students contribute to 19 percent of the total yearly suicides, implying nearly 25thousand student toll. “ Suicide not only harms the immediate family, but also the community”, and with an immeasurable size and behemothic impact, such numbers have significantly shook the nation and has raised questions over the current education system, the cut-throat competition during the entrances and the sky-rocketing admission cut- offs of reputed universities and institutions. For a student facing the same, has no idea but to be a part of the ‘herd’ and keep on pushing himself until he gets through the side where the grass is greener. But what about the one who couldn’t handle it, the feeble sheep? It may all turn out to be a nightmare for it, as the wolf starving for it’s failure would chase it till the ultimate slaughter. “But in the end, one needs more courage to live than to kill himself.” – Albert Camus, highlights the fact it takes serious courage to keep moving on with a life which is just ridden with pain. However, the debate of considering suicide a brave act or not, is something dispensable.

To understand the overtaxed minds of the individuals facing such jitters and rat race is the perquisite for the present scenario. Atychiphobia as discussed before, is meagerly due to a dreadful life experiences and so can be squared off prominently by talk therapy, counseling to help the patient to get off chest with such fears. Experts recommend that the most effective treatment is self-motivation. Encouraging oneself to face every new day may actually reduce fears of imaginary troubles. Breaking the task into small manageable pieces and then doing it gradually is also suggested. It shall help the patient to realize that facing a failure is not the end of the world and there is always a scope to outperform next time. For the young students, they are advised to not become subject to the mistakes of undermining oneself and living in the superstitions of the world to run over digits and percentages. Also, there is a dire need for the parents to recognise their child’s potential and what other qualities the child can give him an edge over his fellow competitors rather than preparing him to be an underdog to fight over his spot. A note to the teachers as well, not every child could be the ‘apple of your eyes’, he can have creative capabilities not constrained just to the essays of English, or he can be an agile player and dodge the ball faster than you could that solve that algebra problem. Every child is tender and is sui-generis. Let the child be nurtured with his own discrete thoughts on life and mark his own destinations. Nothing is dull or lustrous per say, it’s the perception which divides the line of asymmetry. The words of wisdom say, “You are a marvel. You are unique. In all the years that have passed, there has never been another child like you. Your legs, your arms, your clever fingers, the way you move. You may become a Shakespeare, a Michelangelo, a Beethoven. You have the capacity for anything.” – Henry David Thoreau

Be the one ‘undefined’ by the society, carry the super powers of yourself and aim the beam of enlightenment on those with superficial communal weapons.

Once again the education system of Bihar has been brought into limelight and put to interrogation over the competency of students, soon after the results of Intermediate examinations were declared on Tuesday. Two topper students of Vishun Dev Ray College have reported some questionable topics taught in college. The interviews of these two toppers from Arts and Science streams went viral on Tuesday which showed that they lack even the basic knowledge about their subjects. Ruby Ray, who topped the inter in Arts stream pronounced ‘Political Science’ as ‘Prodigal Science’ and claimed to be taught cooking, describing that the is subject related to cookery. Saurabh Sresth, who topped the inter in Science stream didn’t know about the electrons and protons and told the interviewers that Aluminum (Al) is the most reactive element in the Periodic Table.

Embarrassed by this media exposure of education quality in Bihar the Education Minister Ashok Chaudhary has ordered a high-level probe into the alleged swapping of original answer sheets with probably similar hand-written answer sheets and well-written answer sheets. The probe will be completed in 10 days, and persons, teachers involved and found guilty will be dismissed from their government jobs, reported The Times of India. Also other fourteen students who topped Class 12 exams to take re-tests, as the results showed a major dip in the pass percentage which the education committee promptly attributed to clampdown of using unfair means but after the interviews of the toppers of Vishun Dev Ray College, reports of mass cheating backed by a section in the education department have surfaced, reported Hindustan Times. The results therefore, as of now are put to hold since the marks scored and knowledge demonstrated by the students are failing to connect. Ruby and Saurabh are subjected to re-write the test and interview before a panel of subject experts today on June 3.

The reported college in question is run by Baccha Ray, who is a political member of Lalu Prasad’s political party. In 2014, his daughter Shalini Ray had also scored 97 percent in her 10th Board exams. This college had made to the headlines of news in the previous year too, when 220 students of Science stream had scored exactly same marks. It is been found that the students coming for admission in this college are guaranteed best scores in exams beforehand. Also this college’s fee is ten times more than the other colleges. An Official on query told the reporters that high fees is due to definite good results in exams. Though the head of college, Baccha Ray, expunges the news and said that the good results are an outcome of good education, Education Minister admitted the lapse hence the board, along with the teachers and institutions will be held accountable.

Photographs of hundreds of people scaling walls of a Bihar school building to help students cheat in the Class 10 board exams last year had left the nation gaping in disbelief and raised question marks over the education system in the State and now yet once again this fiasco has sullied the image of State. Education Minister Ashok Chaudhary has expressed that this is setback since the State government had hoped to successfully conduct cheating-free exams to erase the bad reports of previous year.

Repeated events of this sort are raising questions like, is the education imparted by Bihar board at all reliable for young students? If not, then isn’t the board taking any consideration in shaping the future of the students or just trifling with it? Are the toppers supposed to be like the toppers of Vishun Dev Ray College? Altogether, the main question raised is that, can the education quality be banked upon the entire examination committee of education department of Bihar? Well, so far no answers have been found. But despite the debacle the state assures the morale of genuine teachers and students will not fail.

The NDA government kicked off their survey of the last two years of their government according to which modernization of Indian Railways tops the list. This is a very happy news for the Railway Minister Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu who is trying to implement ways to reform the face of the railway network in India.

Indian Railways is one of the largest railway network in the world comprising of about 115,000 km of track over a route of 65,808 km and 7,112 stations. It is also world’s seventh largest utility employer with number of employees over 1.376 million and runs Freight wagons, Passenger coaches and Locomotives.

Very recently, at the end last month from May 26, 2016 to June 1, 2016 was celebrated as the ‘Rail Humsafar Saaptah’ to mark the completion of two years of Prime Minister Modi’s government. Each day from May 26 to May 31 was celebrated with one theme each. May 26 was observed as ‘Swachchta Diwas’ and efforts for intensive cleanliness drive on all stations and trains were undertaken. May 27 was observed as ‘Satkaar Diwas’ in which officers would be deputed to inspect all catering establishments and drinking water facilities at stations and in trains to ensure that all the trains having pantry cars are inspected and catering units at stations are checked. May 28 was celebrated as ‘Sewa Diwas’ involving each train, other than sub-urban commuting trains,were monitored by an officer between 10 AM to 4 PM. These nominated officers traveled by these trains and interacted with passengers in all classes and ensured that amenities, as required, were provided and grievances were redressed. May 29 was celebrated as ‘Satarkta Diwas’ on which punctuality and ticket checking drive were undertaken. May 30 was celebrated as ‘Saamanjasya Diwas’ where teams of concerned officers inspected all the railway staff colonies along with representatives of recognised unions who undertook to cleanliness drive in the colonies for their upkeep and maintenance. Also each zonal railway planted at least 1000 trees in each division. May 31 was observed as ‘Sanyojan Diwas’ as a day when all GMs and DRMs held meetings and seminars with all major freight traffic customers to advise them about the various reforms and policy initiatives on the freight traffic side and to ask them to improve rail transportation. Lastly, the week long celebration ended on June 1 which was observed as ‘Sanchar Diwas’ with observation as a day of communication holding meetings with media representatives.

This week-long celebration of NDA government should be validated perhaps because a substantial development is clearly noticed. Modi government’s budget plans for Indian Railway seems worth the modernization actions undertaken. Lets see the various changes made in different sections of railway.

PASSENGER AMENITIES & SERVICES AND SYSTEM

The railways launched all India helpline no.s’s 138 and 182 to report complaints and unsavory incidents, respectively. A ‘Customer Complaint Web Portal and Mobile application (Android/Windows based) was launched. E-catering services were introduced in 134 pairs of trains with a view to serve meal to the passengers at their seat by placing order through a phone call, SMS or website. E-concierge services were started at 22 stations. Also, first ‘Green DEMU’ train was introduced on Northern Railway to run between Rewari- Rohtak section. Six pilgrim tourist trains were introduced in the last year to cover Hindu pilgrims centers, Jain pilgrim centers and Sikh pilgrim centers. E-enabled Project Monitoring Information System (PMIS) was launched in April, 2016. Drone video-graphy has been introduced for ongoing projects. This will enable close monitoring of various projects on Indian Railways. Wait-list woes are one experience that unites all India for sure. I’m sure it has happened with all of us that we had to cancel our important plans because of a long waiting list in much needed trains. Well, railways has found a new solution to resolve this problem by introducing ‘Clone Trains’ to accommodate passengers in waiting list with seats which will run after an hour of scheduled train’s departure. This feature to be facilitated on high-demand routes.

INFRASTRUCTURE

Indian Railway took steps to make railways bio-friendly to contribute in environment preservation by introducing Bio-toilets which will lessen the pollution on train tracks by converting the waste into environment-friendly substances that won’t corrode the tracks. Around 10,159 bio-toilets already been fitted by March 2015. Steps are also taken to use Solar Energy. 30 KW Solar Plant has been commissioned at roof top of Rail Bhawan at New Delhi. Katra Station is now solar powered. Railways signed MoU to set up its own Railway Design Center in collaboration with National Institute of Design (NID). Three separate MOUs were signed with the states of Orissa, Jharkand and Chhatisgarh for critical coal connectivity projects to improve transportation of coal. In 2014-15, 1983 km of railway lines have been commissioned and 1375 km of railway electrification completed. This is the best ever performance of Indian Railways. Indian Railways and Ministry of Water Resources to jointly work for creating logistics hubs with rail connectivity on National Waterways. Indian railways commissioned around 4800 kilometers of broad gauge track in last two years which is a record performance. As compared to this, Railways have been commissioning at an average of about 1,530 km per financial year in the previous five years of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA). In addition, 2,132 railway over bridges and under bridges were completed at an average of 1,066 per year, as compared to an average of 763 per year in the previous five years. Also, Indian Railways eliminated 2,433 unmanned level crossings in the NDA’s last two years.

NORTH EAST

The much awaited Lumding-­Silchar Broad gauge section was inaugurated giving seamless broad gauge connectivity to Barak Valley of Assam with the rest of the country. Meghalaya comes on the rail map with the flagging off of the first ever train from Guwahati to Medipathar in Meghalaya by the Prime Minister. He also laid the foundation for a new line to take rail connectivity to Mizoram’s capital Aizwal. Director train connectivity started from Delhi to Itanagar, the capital of Arunachal Pradesh. The first ever perishable cargo center set up Adarsh Nagar station in Delhi to help farmers.

HIGH SPEED TRAINS

Looks like speed is the new mantra for our present government’s Make in India plan by roping in countries like Germany, Japan and Spain with plans of High Speed Trains like Bullet and Talgo trains. Reports of study by Japan for Bullet Train on Mumbai-Ahemdabad corridor were received in 2015. This is the biggest investment announcement that came from Rail Minister Prabhu that a high-speed train (Bullet train) to be introduced at a cost of Rs.97,636 crore. The train will cover a distance of around 508km in approximately two hours and will be funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). China has also undertaken the study of introducing Bullet Train on New Delhi-Chennai corridor.

High- speed Spanish Talgo train’s first trial run conducted successfully on Bareilly-moradabad line in Uttar pradesh on May 29, 2016. Talgo trains are lighter and faster therefore are energy-efficient and can help save extra-energy by 30 percent. These trains can run at a speed of 115 kilometers per hour over curves without decelerating the speed. During this first trial run it covered 90 kilometers in 70 minutes.

FINANCIAL ACHIEVEMENTS

As a measure to restructure the Indian Railways, Minister Prabhu constituted two new directorates: Mobility Directorate, which will look at the mobility plans and identify and prioritize train corridors for raising speed, and, Non-Fare Revenue Directorate to focus on areas for enhancing revenues by 10% to 20% from non-tariff sources. He is also exploring advertisements as a way of revenue.

During 2014-15, the Railways’ total earnings were Rs.157880.50 crore, registering an increase of 12.16 per cent over the previous year. Also carried 1097.578 million tonnes of revenue earning freight, showing an increase of 4.18 percent over the previous year. It has succeeded in achieving the 91.1% target of operating ratio in 2014­15 which is an improvement over 93.6% achieved in 2013-­14. The government is also to impose ‘Krishi Kalyan cess’ of 0.5 per cent on service tax on all AC class tickets, freight and parcels, implemented from June 1, 2016 onward.

Amid the one year of Modi’s term, Ministry of Railways has claimed several new beginnings and key reforms, but are now and then reportedly put to question, as to whether or not are really the present government’s improvements or credits usurped for someone else works. As per reports, by media and government, we as citizens of India, really aren’t at a position to know the highlights and reports are true to present times or a later publication of earlier achievements. But the one thing we can truly claim is that, these reports or highlights have been brought to the citizens notice only recently, for which, at least the credit goes to the current ruling NDA government and hope it fulfills all the potential plans and make Indian Railways a world-class railway network.

Summeris here and it is the perfect time to flaunt those beautiful summer dresses. But so is the apprehension of losing your gorgeous skin. If you are worried that this scorching heat, and burning flames are going to spoil your skin, then I think, it is the right time for you to follow these tips to keep your skin from going dull, dry and blemished. We must pay special attention to the skin and should adapt the skin care routine according to the season. Here are some tips for glowing and healthy skin during this summer:

Water: It is the best and most effective remedy. It not only quenches the thirst but also helps to flush out the toxins and waste that accumulate in the body. During summer, our body dehydrates more than it does normally, so we need to drink at least 8-10 glasses of water per day. We can also increase the intake of fluids like fruit juices, coconut water, green tea, buttermilk and mango panna to decrease the heat level and keep the body cool and hydrated. Green tea is high in antioxidants which help to eliminate dead skin cells and the anti-inflammatory, anti-carcinogenic properties in green tea protects against a variety of skin disorders. Fluids help to detoxify the skin and keep the skin soft, dewy and clear. Avoid drinking sodas and aerated drinks completely.

Eat Right: What goes into your stomach is linked directly to how your skin looks. Eating junk and processed foods not only creates deficiency of nutrients, but also leads to toxins in the body. So include lots of fruits with high water-content like watermelon, grapefruits, cantaloupe, peaches, pineapples, etc. Eating skin-friendly foods such as green-leafy vegetables in the form of salads, steamed veggies are prime in order to load up on antioxidants and flavonoids.

Tan-removal packs: Once in a while opt for tan-removal packs along with your cleansing, moisturizing and toning rituals. It is one of the major problems skin has to suffer through in hot summers. Some of the best and easiest homemade tan-removal packs are-

Lemon and Aloe Vera face pack- Lemon is one of the best citrus fruits that have rich medicinal and cosmetic benefits. it is a natural bleaching agent and an antioxidant which combats the free radicals that accumulate on skin surfaces. It is also rich in vitamin C, and the intake of lemon juice would fetch you a glowing skin. Aloe Vera on the other side is a short stemmed succulent plant that produces antiseptics that have the super power to kill any kind of bacteria, fungi and viruses that settle on the skin due to pollution, dust and other reasons. All you need to do is juice a lemon and besides that also mash the aloe vera leaves. Mix them properly until an aromatic paste is formed. Apply this onto the tanned area of the skin and allow it to dry. You need to apply this paste twice or thrice a day to cleanse and prevent your skin from getting tanned from time-to-time. This is also an effective cure for dark circles around eyes.

Curd and gram flour face pack-

Curd is a great exfoliating agent that removes dead skin cells and also moisturizes the skin deeply. It helps in cooling the skin that is continuously exposed to sunlight for hours. Gram flour is widely used in whitening your skin and it really helps in giving an instant glow to your skin. Take curd and gram flour in equal quantities and mix well by adding lemon juice in proportions. Apply this paste to face, neck and other body parts such as hands and feet. Pat it dry and wash it with warm water. This can be applied twice a week which ultimately results in soft glowing skin.

Cool showers: Warm showers during the summer season can further dry out your skin ans make it susceptible to tanning. So, opt for cool showers in order to keep the skin fresh and hydrated.

Sunscreen: Applying sunscreen creams and lotions on the skin before going out into the sun helps not only prevent skin darkening and skin damage but also protects the skin from the harsh UV-A and UV-B rays of the sun that can lead to skin cancer. The sunscreen lotion should be applied at least 15 to 30 minutes before going out in the sun. Always apply a sunscreen which contains high SPF, 30 minutes before stepping out in the sun. Reapply the sunscreen every two hour and opt for a waterproof sunscreen. Try to stay indoors during 10 am to 4 pm as the sun rays are harshest during that time and can have adverse effects on the skin.

So follow these simple tips and it will help you to get rid of all the worries regarding your skin and will give you a lot of confidence to face the world. So get ready to flaunt a better, younger and glowing skin this summer.

The definition of comedy has been evolving just as a nation’s surges to development, and so it is understood discordantly. ’Restlessness ‘to some and a ‘revolution ‘to others. The set back to any satire , or a ridicule over a given community has always made an ‘entertainer’ fall prey to a sea of commotions . Since Chaplin’s era to American funny bone , JOHN OLIVER and now of the infamous , Indian stand-up comedian ,KAPIL SHARMA , all have been a victim to social , political and ethical beliefs prescribed by the bounded rules of society. Recently , a parody based on the character of an Indian nurse , spelled troubles for the ‘loved’ television comedian , Kapil Sharma to face the rage of a community of nurses from Amritsar claiming the act as “ vulgar” and attempts to objectifying nurses in an unacceptable manner.

Now , in the same league is the Co- founder of one of the most followed ‘ comedy gang ‘ , AIB , Tanmay Bhatt,who has became indigestible crunch for almost every Maratha leader. This wasn’t something new to the “tragedy mein comedy” king, Tanmay ,as his ‘funny’ team had been bombarded with 5 legitimate PIL over their roast show offering ‘ filthy’ content. Finding it still passable , Tanmay continued his comedy style as his video , titled “Sachin Vs Lata Civil war “ went viral all over the social media and YouTube . The humorist , “face swapped “ the the two legends , LATA MANGESHKAR and SACHIN TENDULKAR , and further initiating a chucklesome conversation between them . Expecting the public to go bananas over the joke , it had turned some of the faces red over the sketch. The video reportedly turned down a large section of the Maratha community and was considered a disgrace to national integrity. In the agitation towards the same , the political luminaries like , Raj Thakeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) , winning BJP state president , Ashish Shelar and the ‘ no –nonsense’ tolerating , Shiv Sena had asked the CM , Devendra Fadnavis to file a suit against AIB. Under the pressures due to the same, Mumbai police has asked the legal experts to remove the content from Google and YouTube. Being uprooted from his social rights, due to political efficacy, Tanmay also has fallen prey to ‘serious threats’ and warnings . Even the people of his industry , Kiku Sharda , who had been behind the bars to imitate one of the spiritual leaders, believes that it’s an act of shameful desertion and “there is limit to everything”. Considering it as a unjust humour , the rising speaker , Anupam kher called the video having “no humour” at all. Bashful comments and tweets became a common phenomenon in past 2 days on Twitter and Facebook . Never showing a back to his haters, Tanmay Bhatt came up with a meme depicting his feeling of ‘déjà vu’ , as it reminded him of his past struggles post the AIB ROAST show . Such incidents held a commonplace in the past as well. Louis CK , renowned American stand-up artist had fell trapped to a great hustle when in , on one of the shows named ‘ Saturday Night Live’ , he made a controversial remark on racism and child molestation ( that was quite harsh!) . Presuming the crowd’s reaction he said that it could be his ‘last show’ . Luckily, his apology to the public had saved his career to plunge over. Another incident where , with the growing popularity under the list of ‘the most hated men in UK’ in 2001 , Chris Morris, had became displeasure to the eyes of journalists, politicians and general public when he showcased a sarcastic display of media’s “ hysterical” behavior and moral panic in pedophilia. Lastly , the “Jam” had added some sweetness to his professional downs. He carries his dark drape of mystery still with himself along his class apart surrealism and controversial humor. Despite of being ridiculed over their buffoonery traits , these ‘ funny brave men’ lead out their ways to overwhelming success and fame . Anticipating a similar verdict for the Indian gag-man, Tanmay who is now facing a craggy battle of ‘true humour’ and unreal controversies ( atleast for a AIB fan) , where the opponents having sublime thoughts , the social media has became the ‘judge’ . May the judgment be granted with some ‘ chill’ , as the country starves to have good reasons to laugh at . Rather than beginning a daily routine with a newspaper having bunch of disappointing and sensible truth , why not with a merry , “funny to many” ,no – brainer joke? Has India became more intolerant to jokes than to it’s own set of below –the – par issues ? and Yes, the answer to these questions should surely not be funny. Thus ,there is a need to understand that definition of comedy is wavering , per say , and is subject to unalike reactions. So , sit back and relax , because “it was just a joke!”.

Karoly Takacs (21 January, 1910- 5 January,1976) became the World’s best shooting hand twice, both in 1948 London Olympics and 1952 Helsinki Olympics. He was the first man who consequently won Olympics twice. This is just a part of his incredible story and his determination.

Born in Budapest, Karoly joined the Hungarian army. He had won all the national championships that took place in Hungary and he had a dream and an ardent desire to make his hand the ‘best shooting hand’ of the World. By 1936, he was a world-class pistol shooter, but he was denied a place in the Hungarian shooting team for the 1936 Summer Olympics on the grounds that he was a sergeant, and only commissioned officers were allowed to compete. This prohibition on Hungary came to an end after the Berlin games, and Takacs focused on 1940 Olympics which were scheduled to be held in Tokyo.

In 1938, he became a victim of an unfortunate mishap. While training with his army squad, a hand grenade exploded in Karoly’s right hand, and his shooting hand was blown off. His dream came to a standstill for once. Now he had two options: either to feel sorry for himself the whole life, or make a new start. But, winners like Karoly Takacs know in their heart that quitting is not an option. He recovered in one month after all his surgeries and started practising with his only hand. At that moment, he rather attempted to do something great and fail than to attempt to do nothing and succeed. He still carried the same dream of making his hand the ‘best shooting hand’ in the world. Nobody knew what he is up to, maybe because he didn’t want gluing discouraging eyes and believed in the principle of ‘Action speaks louder than words.’ In 1939, after one long year of passionate and focused practice sessions, he showed up at the Hungarian Pistol Shooting Championship. Other shooters came forward to sympathise with Karoly and congratulate him for displaying the true sportsman spirit to come watch them shoot and increase their morale and confidence. But, his reply astonished everyone. He said, “ I didn’t came to watch, I came to compete.” All the shooters competed with their best hands whereas on the other hand, Karoly used his only hand. And guess who won? The man with the only hand. He didn’t rest, his aim was clear; to make his end the best shooting hand of the world.

His life’s challenges were yet not over. The 1940 and 1944 Olympics were cancelled due to World War II. He was ageing and his time was running out. It looked like he will never be able to conquer his dream. But, finally, he surprised the world by winning a gold medal in the Olympics.

Even now, he didn’t stop. He again appeared in 1952 Olympics and the man with the only hand made a world record of simultaneously being the Olympics champion twice. He also attended the 1956 summer Olympics in Melbourne, finished eighth and failed to win the third time.

His story gave him a place among the ‘Olympic heroes’ of the International Olympic Committee. He is the third known physically disabled athlete to have competed in the Olympic games after George Eyser and Oliver Hallassy followed by Liz Hartel and Neroli Faizhak. After his shooting career, Takacs became a coach. He trained Hungarian Szilard Kun who won the silver medal at 1952 summer Olympics. He ended his army career as a lieutenant Colonel.

Karoly’s life is a set example for all those who blame circumstances for their failures. Unlike others, he is a man with the mental toughness to recover back quickly from anything. Life was cruel to him, but it is hard to beat a person who never gives up. If he would have wallowed in misery, he would have lost his mental edge –the eyes of a tiger and the determination of an ant. Truly quoted, ‘Champions are not the people who never fail, but the people who never quit.’

His life is a testimony of how firm determination can help us to cross all obstacles, however difficult they may seem.

His story reminds me of the golden words of C.W. Longenecker,

“When things go wrong as they sometimes will,

When the road you’re trudging seems all uphill.

Rest if you must, but NEVER QUIT.”

Let Karoly’s life be an example for all those who opt for excuses and blame circumstances for their downfall. Be firm, and work for your dreams because nothing is impossible.

Quite familiar to this ‘heard’ statement, people usually find a bizarre yet an amusing element about how easy it is to be divorced in the Islamic religion. However, it won’t be funny for a woman practicing Islam as her husband warns her from uttering the first ‘talaq’. Often, what the holy Quran says is misinterpreted, causing severity to the lives of many. The female counterpart is often deprived of her own rights and the demands for financial support from her husband after the divorce procedure is completed. In practice, she is also denied to live alone but only with her family. On the contrary to which , one of the Aayats , of the Quran , has specified the legitimate right of every Muslim women , which is called ‘khula’ to seek divorce or separation from her husband . In addition, if her husband refuses her decision, she has the right to petition aqadi, to grant her divorce. Also, according to Quran’s Sura 2 (Al –baqara ) Aayat 235, implicates the responsibilities on divorcee and divorcer on behalf of their children, prohibits interventions from previous husband in the divorced woman’s life.

To no surprise such rules are non-existent in reality, as the suppressed counterpart is oftenly, deprived of her rights and subjected to cruelty, ill-treatment and lack of financial support from their shohars.

IMPLICATIONS OF THE TRIPLE TALAQ

In the ?alaq divorce, the husband pronounces the phrase "I divorce you" (talaq) to his wife. A man may divorce his wife three times, taking her back after the first two. After the third talaq they can't get back together until she marries someone else. Some do a "triple ?alaq”, in which the man says in one sitting "I divorce you" three times (or "I divorce you, three times", "you're triple divorced"). But , Many Islamic scholars believe there is a waiting period involved between the three talaqs. Surprisingly, the practice of "triple ?alaq" at one sitting has been legally recognized historically and has been particularly practiced in Saudi Arabia.

Ethically, the talaq procedure involves three ‘easy’ steps:

Indian television today is filled with loads of saas-bahu soaps and reality shows leaving very little to the interest of the urban youth and tech-savvy viewers. Viewers like me, watch TV only for live shows or sports. Naturally, it is no surprise that the youth of my age are hitting the internet and video-sharing websites like Youtube, etc., for entertainment interests. Numerous online digital entertainment portals are coming into existence some of which have already become a huge hit among the youngsters and urban viewers. These entertainment portals are producing Web series or shows, meant completely for Internet, which is actively catching the fancy of the audiences as well as the content producers and advertisers.

I happen to encounter such series through another such social platform i.e. Facebook. On seeing the number of likes and shares on the post caught my interest. It was definitely an interesting watch. Immediately after watching it, I shared it with my friends who also liked it hugely. A few of these popular web series are a production of TVF (The Viral Fever), Y-Films, Pechkas Pictures, Scoopwhoop Talkies, etc. ‘Pitchers’ by TVF is ranked 25th by the IMDB (Internet Movie Database) as of today among Top Rated TV shows. Some other popular Web series are ‘Permanent Roommates’, ‘Man’s World’, ‘Bang Baaja Baarat’, etc.

These series for that matter are popular not for one but various reasons. Reasons I think makes these web series so popular :

It mostly targets the audience from a particular age group, for example15-35, such as high school students, college-goers and doing jobs who form the major internet target audiences.

These Web Series are easily accessible on the Internet in Youtube and other online channels where they can be watched for free of cost.

While we, the viewers, don’t claim that these internet series, since so popular, are taking over the TV but are undeniably up for a good competition. They are no doubt presenting us with certainly more content and variety and they are absolutely very promising for us viewers, creating spaces of learning and reforming society. At present it is popular at a certain intensity, but it is definitely the next big thing in the entertainment industry.

Casting fresh faces encouraging more youth viewers as well as no biased reviews and reactions since they do not have any star studded, jittery cast. But some series are also following the fashion as in the west i.e. to include a few film stars in a few episodes to make it more interesting, like in Man’s world, Kalki Koechlin and Parineeti Chopra did cameos.

Very relatable content, especially for the youth, and since they form the largest amount of internet consumer and viewership, it automatically is getting more popular day by day. A lot more focus is given on issues trending in today’s world such as gender equality, personal space in marriages, politics in the market, which hooks into the audiences interests and accordingly liked more and appreciated by the viewers.

Concise affair- These series come with less yet interesting episodes, making them an easy, relaxing watch. We could watch it in between breaks, while traveling to offices, etc.

Promoting various brands- since some of these series are made at around 50 lakhs per episode, questions pop that how do they manage such lavish expenditure. The answer my dear friends is brand sponsorships. The online entertainment channels get their funding and in return they advertise their brands and companies in their episodes, for example Ola cabs in ‘Permanent Roommates’.

Initiation: This is the first step to bring in a ruckus to the married life. As per the scholars following two different schools of thoughts i.e. SHIA and SUNNI, preach the rule that the husband has to say talaq once to the present wife or make a public announcement to initiate the divorce process.

Reconciliation: Before the end of the countdown, there is a need for both the partners to readdress the matter during their waiting period. As prescribed the waiting period is of thee menstrual periods for women or three month (idhah), when the couple is suppose to try to reconcile with the help of mediators from each family, until the third and final.

Completion: As the waiting period is over, the final utterance of talaq is made which completes the divorce procedure. The wife becomes non-marham (he cannot remarry her) for her ex-husband by following hijab And that’s how my Basheer, I would never meet your mother again, says the off-burdened Shohar.

In a country like India, which is a home of diverse religions and their practices, it is not easy to violate the rules which are established by one religion, as it seeks to disregard the constititutional rights of respecting each religion and its sentiments.

“INSTANT” TALAQ PROCEDURE WAS MEANT FOR WOMEN

Yes, you read it right. During the reign of the second Caliph Omar, it is accepted that he had sanctioned the rule of uttering triple talaq. But these ‘so called’ spiritual leader s who claim to be the messenger of Allah, have purely adopted the letter of law , and junks its bottom line. Caliph Omar had pronounced the triple talaq as final in a few cases where women wanted to walk out of their failed marriages desperately and their husbands were delaying the divorce by misusing the long-drawn procedure prescribed in the law. So it was for the sake of women that Caliph Omar gave legal sanctity to instant talaq in the 7th century.

But obviously, the heralds of ‘fake God’ have ‘modified’ the rule as a to twist to suit their own anti-women and patriarchal ends.

MUSLIM BOARD VS SAIRA BANO

Bai Tahira, Fuzlunbi, Zohra Khatoon, Shah Bano, Shamim Ara, Iqbal Bano, Khatoon Nisa, Shabana Bano, Shamima Farooqui are some of the names,that had came into the limelight,when these handful of courageous women decided to let their pleads for justice fall into the ears of the court of law,which had turned a blind eye to the rising injustice towards Muslim women in the name of ‘religious practices’. The latest of all is the case of Saira Bano, a name to represent countless Muslim wives who fall prey to the cruelty of their husbands and are suffering from the pang of “talaq,talaq, talaq”, originally meant for the help them and not the other way round. Instead of traditionally invoking judicial mercy of ordering the divorcing husband to pay her maintenance, Saira has boldly challenged the constitutional validity of her husband’s action of kicking her out by using the so-called triple divorce formula “as reported in a national daily.

Saira Bano’s story is gut-wrenching; it highlights the brute maltreatment she had been through at the hands of her own spouse. In her mid-30s, a sociology postgraduate and mother of two, she suffered through the pains of a bad marriage, an abusive husband, forced abortions and physical and mental agony for over a decade. Following to which, last year, her husband had sent a letter to her parents' home where she was staying. Inscribed on that piece of paper were three words: "Talaq, Talaq, Talaq", as she had narrated her misery to a media source. Rather than succumbing to the injuries, Saira has bluntly challenged the reckless act of her husband of whimsically throwing her out of the home, using the unofficial supremacy of exercising the triple talaq ritual.

Sadly, born in a country full of hypocrite advocators of old school where the verdict is on the basis of prescribed protocols by knowledgeable prophets and the God, himself, the justice seems to just fly out of the window.
The All India Muslim Personal Board, known for its insistence on clinging on to some of the most outdated and medieval customs, has acted predictably, by urging the central government not to share its opinion, as requested by the Supreme Court.

Not agreeing to which, the government has sensed the need to consider the situation and take the vital steps for such old-line misinterpreted practice.

PETITION FOR JUSTICE

Such falsified practices and rituals of Triple Talaq, followed by the solution of “HALALA” ( wherein , the divorced women is asked to sleep with someone else , before returning to her old partner) , also the controversial and unjust Rape Law ( where the women , victim has to make the accuse , the person who had raped her , to be present before the court , and if failed it will considered as adultery , on her part) must come to an end as they only create a society breeding misogynist and ruthless crimes.

To let the world be awake and a take a step towards change, several Muslim women from 13 different states had took a step forward to sign the petition to the head of honor and expect a nonpartisan solution. Last year, 70,000 Muslim women signed a petition addressing to the PM, Narendra Modi. They have urged urgent reforms and the criminalization of Polygamy and Triple Talaq. They also seek succession of property to women in pursuance of a 'life of dignity'.

A repercussion of which was, All India Muslim Personal Law Board , who had not adhered to the guidelines of the supreme court to mend it’s thought process , had fielded the women who had signed the petition . Unreluctantly, they had accused Bhartiya Muslim Mahila Andolan activists leading the campaign against the law as RSS agents!

Just like a censor board for films , ignoring the pertaining situation and rather blaming the rights of their own people by selling them off to political pressure , their own righteous belief and hypocrisy , the All India Muslim board has even enraged the men of the country. In a report to Times of India, Farhan Rahman, a research scholar had told “We need to come out and support it because if we don’t do it then the false practices will get the support and lead misrepresentation of our religion”

Phew! At least there still some mindful intellectuals left in the country to raise the voice against such rubber stamped acts.

There is dire need to speak against this ‘un-Quran’ practice which is loosely based on patriarchal rules of the society.

Provoking intolerance among Muslim men as well, it is clear that such unfair practices deserve no space in a sovereign country like India. Thus, Saira Bano’s case is a great opportunity to usher in a much-needed reform. The government and the Supreme Court must weigh in on the side of the Muslim women over the hollow discretion of the Muslim board. Preventing from creating an uproar in the lives of many Muslim families , such practices demand immediate ban , making it ‘un-EASY’ for the megalomaniacs to take the undue advantage of the fuss.

Everyday when I step out of my house to go to work I bow my head before the God I worship, and I’m sure it is the same with most of us. We always pray for ourselves that we may go out and be back home safe, or praying for a promotion or a deal to be signed, or for achieving goals set for the month. How often is it that we pray for those who are around us? We all may have different faiths and religions and we honor the almighty in our own way. Religion is defined as “an order of existence” by the anthropologists. Over 100s of religions are currently practiced throughout the world. Its one element that unites and divides thousands of people at the same time. In today’s time-line when the world peace and humanity is dwindling, measures by various people are being taken to restore world peace, nature, and recreate values to make world a better place. One such religious leader is making an appreciable effort, the highly esteemed Pope Francis of Catholic Church. The Pope had on December 7, 2015 declared year 2016 as the ‘Holy year of Mercy’ along with the Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI. It was also the first time two pontiffs together launched a jubilee year.

Pope Francis together with other religious leaders has launched a video message portal, The Pope Video. It is a global initiative developed by the Pope's Worldwide Prayer Network (Apostleship of Prayer) to assist in the dissemination of the Holy Father’s monthly intentions related to the challenges the humanity faces. Going by the monthly prayer intentions of the Pope its very apparent that his genuine concerns lie not just with uniting the faiths but also raising issues that needs much resolution. There’s diversity in the editorial board as well which constitutes of the leaders Pope is working together with. I would like to highlight each month’s prayer intention one by one up till present:

Inter-religious dialogue (January 2016)

January’s prayer intention began with a harmonious intermingling of men and women from different faiths which may produce the fruits of justice and peace. In the video released, we can see religious leaders from faiths Buddhism, Judaism, Islam and Christianity coming together as ‘children of one God’. He sends out this strong message of “One World Religion” in a minute and a half long video. Pope Francis also states “we are all children of God” irrespective of which religion or faith we belong to, since many feel differently, think differently but the one thing that is certain is being children of God. He highlights the importance of inter-religious dialogue and the beliefs different faiths hold in common, such as the figure of God and love. It is important for people to understand that this dialogue involves more than talking, it involves listening as well. Talk, hear out each other is the message. So with this he sincerely hopes to bring all denominations of faith together on one page.

Care for Creation (February 2016)

Drawing our attention to our mother earth and environment Pope Francis placed the second prayer intention of the year- “That we may take good care of creation- a gift freely given- cultivating and protecting it for future generations.” It is no secret how much we humans have exhausted the natural resources available. Increasing pollution and misuse of non-renewable resources might leave nothing to see and utilize for the younger generations to come. Life is a gift, creation is a gift hence, we should appreciate the gift we have received and look after it.

Families in Difficulty (March 2016)

Month of March was dedicated to all families around the world- “That families in need may receive the necessary support and the children may grow up in healthy and peaceful environment.” Family is a circle of strength, crux of every human’s life, and it need not always be blood. It is the best thing one could ever wish for. Most valued asset of human life. But it is our duty to take care of our family to prevent them from crumbling. Often families break due to financial or ethical problems or problems between the spouses which directly-indirectly affect everyone in the home especially children. They need to be brought up in a happy, healthy environment. This is one of the most alarming rising dispute of today’s generation when most marriages are ending up in divorces, children being stranded at orphanages. They are going to be our tomorrow, shouldn’t we be worried how is it going to turn out?

Small Farmers ( April 2016)

In April, we prayed- “That small farmers may receive a just reward for their precious labor.” We need to take time to show our gratitude to small farmers all over the world because of whom we are surviving. To think that one does not depend on the production of the small farmers is absolutely wrong. If you don’t believe me check your package-food information table where you’ll notice the main ingredient is something that comes from the farm and who runs the farm- farmers. With this prayer intention Pope Francis also draws our attention towards every being who is of some help to us in some way, which we shouldn’t overlook. We should acknowledge them doing their job so that we can eat and live and do our job. Many at times the small farms go out of business, often large agri-businesses acquire the land and create greater potential for ecological damage and health risks. For Pope Francis small farmers are essential to caring for the earth and safeguarding it for future generations Agricultural workers should receive a just wage. As the pope said, “The labor of those who cultivate the earth, generously dedicating time and energy to it, appears as a genuine vocation. It deserves to be recognized and appropriately appreciated, also in concrete economic policies.”

Respect for Women (May 2016)

May is the month honored in the reverence of Mother Mary, so, it was very apt for Pope Francis to assign this month in honor of women- “That in every country of the world, women may be honored and respected and that their essential contribution to society may be highly esteemed. This month we also celebrated Mothers’ day all over the world. In the words of Pope Francis, Mary is “the true and sublime example of woman.” Women have an irreplaceable role, says Pope Francis. He encourages the contribution of women working within the family, areas of preaching faith, schooling, social, cultural and economic structures. Throughout the world the women unfortunately not only are excluded, but under attack. Women are caught in many forms of slavery, of prostitution, of mutilation of the female body, which requires us to set to work to defeat these forms of degradation which reduce it to purely an object to be sold on the various markets. “We have done little for the women,” says the Pope. He asks, is it enough to only recognize their contribution? Therefore, he sends out the message in his May prayer video issuing a global petition that women in all countries would be respected and valued, asking if the mere recognition of their role is enough, or if more can be done.

Human Solidarity (June 2016)

Prayer intention for June is- “That the aged, marginalized, and those who have no one may find- even within the huge cities of the world- opportunities for encounter and solidarity.” Right on point, Pope brings in focus the prejudices and treatment faced by those people whom others think are different, or old, or not like everyone else. We should be more tolerant towards people around us, and not because someone told one to be, but because that is how solidarity will spread around. Solidarity recognizes that every human soul is created by God, thus, all people are equal before God and deserve respect. A contemporary error is disregard for the law of human solidarity and charity, which the Pope hopes to re-cultivate among humans from the example shown in the video. Don’t you like it when you make someone happy, or better, when someone brings a smile on your face with their actions? I bet you do. Come together, care for each other.

It is an innovative attempt to reach out to people in a modern and powerful way. I think his efforts truly make it apt for us to call him “The People’s Pope”. We are looking forward to the next six prayer intentions to be taken up in next six months. He is doing his own bit and setting an amazing example for us to follow upon. Now, it is our turn to do our bit for the world.

The once rugged Aravali range which stands near Vasant Vihar is now a home to one of the world ranking university, my beloved Jawaharlal Nehru University. Covering around a 1000-acres of land the campus houses some of the best and excellent schools and centres of education. It has 14 major Schools and Centers ranging from Languages to Social Sciences to Molecular Medicine to Nano Sciences, with a strength of around 5000 students and Teachers approximately. Several of these Centers have been declared as “Center of Excellence” by UGC. The campus in total has 17 hostel accommodations- 7 all boys, 5 all girls, 4 co-ed, and 1 for married students. Residential accommodations are available also for the Professors and staff.

Students are diverse in JNU, basically a microcosm of the Indian Nation. Students from all over India, from every nook and corner, every society and stratum are drawn here and Foreign countries as well. To make sure that this is maintained, annual admission tests are simultaneously held at 37 centers spread across the country. Also special care is taken to draw students from underprivileged backgrounds by reserving 22.5 percent of the seats. Overseas students form around 10 percent of annual intake. The residencies of students hostels and faculty blocks are interspersed with one another, highlighting the vision of a large Indian family.

JNU provides its students with a huge platform of liberal and democratic student politics. Each and everyone is exposed to it which helps them to explore in the potential politics. The major student political bodies on campus that operate are both left and right oriented. AISA, AISF, SFI, DSF, NSUI, ABVP being the most active ones. Every year a new Student Union body (JNUSU) is elected through the process of voting. The parties campaign in schools and hostels through speeches, fierce poster and cartoons, followed by Presidential Speech debate. Everyone is encouraged to participate in it. The election season and the Presidential Speech debate is a delight to watch which is one of the most interesting affairs on campus. However, only a particular amount of students actively participate in politics. Other students are somewhat more academically inclined and state neutral views on politics. One common mistaken fact about JNU is that, it is often assumed to be a left-oriented campus. For many years now the parties coming into power are left-oriented but that doesn’t mean that all parties do not get equal opportunities. All parties are given fair chances to work and campaign in the campus.

Students in JNU live a very chilled out life. There are other activities as well which form an indispensable part of the students life other than politics. They engage very actively in discussions and debates on issues trending. A huge amount of students support queer identity, spreading more awareness and actively participating in movements. As the campus allows one a liberal space where one can place their opinions, accept, criticize and debate views of each other, one can often find such discussions traveling from classrooms and hostel rooms to dhabas. JNU has a tremendous dhaba culture, which provides tasty delicacies at affordable prices. One can also call it as the cheapest food-joint in Delhi. A few of the popular dhabas are Ganga dhaba, Sabarmati dhaba and Godavari dhaba. Many at times various musical shows, meetings are organized at these dhabas as they are the best places of interactions. The campus also has 24*7 working small food places and canteens around campus and in hostels too. If you ever happen to visit the campus you will also come across Raju da ka canteen, Shiv bhaiya ka canteen which are very popular among the students residing in hostels. The campus hosts other food festivals additionally-International and national both, at dhabas and open air theaters. There are various student forums established on the basis of respective regional areas and states which also organizes various cultural and food festivals. ‘Confluence’ being one of the largest among them which celebrates life and culture of the eight sisters of North-east States.

This is not all, the hostels every year organize Cultural and Hostel nights, sort of a competition among the hostels. The entire program is carried out by students from decorations to arranging food to DJ. This is one time of the year when one can witness students involved in serious discussions deciphering complex topics and theories by daytime and dancing to the tunes of Govinda, bhojpuri songs and Punjabi beats by night. There is this weird function also organized called ‘Chaat Sammelan’. The concept itself is hilarious as are the performances by various students who can make you go laughing-rolling-on-the-floor.

The student-teacher relation is very amiable. Personal interaction of students and teachers equally form a very lively generation and transmission of knowledge as does the classroom and laboratory teaching. The campus is very safe for all students, girls and boys alike. No restrictions or bars or moral policing on dressing up. Recently, the campus had fallen into the prey of a huge row when also some random students were incarcerated owing to “JNU dressing style” which was defined as ‘jhola-beard style’. Firstly, not all students dress up that way and secondly, students in JNU are also aware of latest trends in fashion. But the thing is, this hardly matters to them. All have the freedom to dress as they desire. The campus library which also is a big landmark, being the nine-storied highest building on campus, has 24*7 open reading rooms so as to be convenient for students to work and study at any time of the day or night. There are various clubs run by the students related to cultural performances, sports and other activities. ‘Kallol’ organized by the students of School of Languages, Literature and Cultural Studies is the most popular among them. JNU Mountaineering Club organizes moon-light treks every year to Qutub Minar. They also organize desert treks and mountain treks according to the favourable time of the year.

The campus is also a home to a varied wildlife including peacocks, neelgais, mongooses, porcupines, snakes and squirrels. They are so at home in the campus that you can watch them live around you. Waking up at the call of peacocks is not an uncommon phenomena in the campus. The greenery and quietness of campus is what every ex-jnuite definitely craves.

However, the academic is the most important priority of the students. As much as they like to involve in these programs and movements, learning from them and utilizing it in their academia is the main aim of the students. Focusing and exploring on new ideas is of utmost importance. These students know exactly how to balance fun and studies together.

En masse, living in JNU is no less than an adventure of a lifetime. Here you grow and see things as you have never before, find friendships which might become some of the treasured relationships of your life. You never know you might witness one of the important events to be later discussed in history. Life in JNU is not just a lifestyle, but a way of life.

Soccer is presumptively the most celebrated sport throughout the world, so are the players and their always on headlines-wives and girlfriends(WAGs). Soccer players are known to have been dating hot models and celebrities. In this list prepared for you, we are going to rank out the top ten players and their lady love. We hope your favorite player and their WAGs made it to our list.

Cristiano Ronaldo

A Portuguese professional footballer who plays for Spanish club Real Madrid and the Portugal National team. He is an all time Euro goalscorer. Plays as a Forward and also serves as Captain for Portugal. By the age of 22, Ronaldo had received Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year nominations. He is often compared with Lionel Messi and ranked as the best player in the world.

He had been married to Irina Shayak for 5 years, currently separated. He is rumored to be dating Nikoleta Lozanova from Bulgaria. The news came out in February 2016, Lozanova was named 2006 Playmate of the Year in Bulgaria. The model was also rumored to be involved in Maria Sharapova’s breakup with fellow tennis pro Grigor Dimitrov.

Zlatan Ibrahimovi?

Ibrahimovi? is a Swedish professional footballer who plays as a Striker for and captains the Sweden national team. He is one of ten players to have made 100 or more appearances for the Swedish national team is also the country’s all-time leading goalscorer with 62 goals. He represented Sweden at the 2002 and 2006 FIFA World Cups, as well as the 2004,2008, and 2012 UEFA European Championships. He has been awarded Guldbollen (the Golden Ball), given to the Swedish player of the year, a record ten times, including nine consecutive times from 2007 and 2015.

He got married to his longtime partner Helena Seger with whom he has two sons, Maximilian and Vincent. He currently resides in Paris, although he still has a home in Malmö where he spends his summers.

Dimitri Payet

He is a French international footballer who also plays for English club West Ham United in the Premier League. He primarily plays as an attacking midfielder and is often described as a player who is quick and blessed with terrific technique and dribbling skills.

He is married to Ludivine Payet and has two children, Milan and Noa.

Antoine Griezmann

Griezmann is a French professional footballer who also plays for Spanish club Atlético Madrid mainly as a forward. He began his career at Real Sociedad, making his debut in 2009 and winning Segunda Division in his first season. Across five seasons there, he scored 52 goals in 201 official matches. In 2014, he transferred to Atlético Madrid. He has scored over 75 La Liga goals in his career.

Erika Choperena is Griezmann’s girlfriend aged 24 holds a bachelor degree in education and is a big fashion fan. She has a blog where she daily writes about her looks and outfit choices.

James Milner

James Philip Milner is an English professional footballer who plays as a Winger for Premier Leagueclub Liverpool and the England National team. He has previously played for Leeds United (2002-2004), Swindon Town (2003), Newcastle United (2004-2008), Aston Villa (2005-2006) and Manchester City (2010-2015)

He is currently dating Amy Fletcher. This glamorous girl prefers to stay away from cameras.

Koke

Jorge Resurreccion Merodio, popularly known as Koke, is a Spanish professional footballer, who also plays for Atlético Madrid. In the Spanish National team he plays as a midfielder. He has spent most of his career with Atlético Madrid, since he made his debut in 2009. He has played over 250 official games, won five honors including the 2014 National Championship and the 2012 Europa league.

Beatriz Espejel is his current girlfriend. She was born Beatriz Espejel Jiménez and is an English teacher currently working at Albany School. She has a younger brother named David, who also plays football and of whom she is super supportive. One of the couple’s favorite getaways for the summer is the Spanish island of Ibiza. Espejel is super affectionate with Koke, she often calls him her “prince”.

Laurent Koscielny

He is a French footballer who plays for Arsenaland the France national football team. He serves as captain for Arsenal. He has been described as a clever, agile and ball-playing defender.

He got married to his long time partner, Claire Beaudouin last year in June.

Sergio Ramos

Ramos is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for Real Madrid and the Spain National football team. He serves as Captain for Real Madrid. He is primarily a central defender, although he can also play as a right back, a position he primarily fulfilled earlier in his career.

Ramos entered in a relationship with journalist/presenter Pilar Rubio in September 2012, and this was confirmed by both at the FIFA Ballon d'Or Gala. On November 12 2013, she announced that she was expecting her first child with the footballer and their son Sergio Ramos Rubio was born on 6 May 2014.

Juanfran

Juan Francisco Torres Belén, popularly known as Juanfran, is a Spanish professional footballer, who also plays for Atlético Madrid as a Right back. He starte dout at Real Madrid, later joined CA Osasuna and finally Atlético Madrid in 2011. He won five titles, including the 2014 National Championship. He has been a Spanish International since 2012, has also been part of the squad that won in 2012’s European Championship, and also represented the nation at 2014 World Cup.

Veronica Sierras is the lovely wife of Juanfran, who presently works as an outsourcing technician for the Human Resources at Meta4. She is the mother of couple’s two adorable children, Oliver and Alexia.

Cesc Fabregas

Francesc “Cesc” Fabregas Soler is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a Central midfielder for English club Chelsea and the Spain National team. At 16, he was signed English Premier League side Arsenal in September 2003. He earned a reputation as one of the best players in his position for the club and won the FA cup in 2005. He also won a La Liga title, the Copa Del Rey, the FIFA Club World Cup, the UEFA Super Cup and two Spanish Super Cups. He made his international debut for the Spanish national team in March 2006. He represented his country in the 2006 FIFA World Cup, UEFA Euro 2008, 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup, 2010 FIFA World Cup, UEFA Euro 2012, 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup and the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

Daniella Semaan is the current girlfriend of the soccer player, who is 13 years older than him. She has been in controversy for cheating over her husband and went through a rough divorce. However, Fabregas girlfriend Brags on Twitter about her Catholic believes and that they are strong.

The list seems as alluring as the Euro 2016 title Le Rendez-Vous that will be hosted by France. We are totally excited about the league, are you? We really hope our list matches your list of players are, tell us what you think about it.

Note: This list is based completely on UEFA’s the SOCAR Player Barometer and there is a surprise inclusion in the top five and as such could differ from yours.

Women empowerment is the burning topic of today. People demand equal rights and opportunities for women as they have experienced enough cruelties in this male dominated patriarchal society. Women are inclined to stand at par with men with the literacy and the education rate soaring up considerably. Various heinous crimes against women have raised global concern, but are only men responsible for creating havoc in the lives of womenfolk or there is a great mistake made and being made on the part of women as well, knowingly or unknowingly.

Let’s dig deeper on the life of women in primeval times. Even before the birth of a girl child, she was abused and aborted forcefully because a son was preferred. Fortunately or unfortunately, when she wasn’t killed in her mother’s womb and stepped in the world, she faced the discrimination at her home- getting the leftovers to eat, treated inferior in front of her brother and loaded with work as a maid. Boys were “mother’s love” and no matter what, a mother couldn’t treat a son and a daughter in the same zone. The real atrocities began after her marriage.

At the time of marriage, her mother- in- law used to pressurise the girl’s family for heavy dowry. And when I mention mother- in – law, it is signifying the major role, not the complete role because no doubt, the other members were also included. Woman was just considered an object for the pleasure and desire of sex and begetting children. And the so called ‘mother in law’ pressurised her in everything- a want for dowry, son, get indulged in household chores and finally to accept all orders without uttering a single word. But why ?

Simply because she passed through the same oppressed phase because of the cruelty by her own mother in law. It’s been followed for ages, and now has become a social order.

The past is evident of how whenever a woman has stood up for a mission, it has never fallen flat on the ground. The contribution of women in ‘Chipko movement’ can never be forgotten. But, women have accepted the social oppression, tyranny and despotism the reality of their life. The suffering of one made her hard core and this stone heartedness inflated on her subsequent generations. Deep down, she exclaimed ‘’ when my time comes, I’ll live more peacefully than ever. Let my slave come.”

And then, the continuous cycle of subjugation and injustice became the order of the day. When women herself believed in her inferiority, the man just grew comfortable in dominating. The wrong practices followed by some people have become the trend setter.

Even today, daughters are daddy’s angel and boys are mothers’ life. Though, a lot has changed with the growth of education and the awareness among people, yet somewhere our own thought process and mentality ruins our life. When we demand empowerment, we ask for reservations and incentives to make it easy for us. How ironical, we fight for equal opportunities but then, crave for incentives and a shorter way. I do agree that in this humanity-lost world, women need safety and security but the problem doesn’t end here. We have to boost up our image in our mind and break free from the social oppression we created for ourselves. We live in a world of mutual understanding and need, not one of dominance. Why are men supposed to vacant seats for women of the same age or even younger ? Why the final decision of the family is controlled by a man? I don’t advocate fight and lack of respect for one another, rather I aim to enhance consultation and dialogue instead of permission.

Even a highly skilled woman looks for a husband earning a handsome salary and has a job security so that they can easily enjoy their life till the end. But why only a male member expected to run a family? I know there are certain issues with women unlike men, but marrying on the grounds of income isn’t a rational and apt mentality. Elders say “it is a duty of a man to feed his wife and children.” Here, we don’t show a problem because it is not a cause of worry for us. But why is that so. Aren’t women themselves competent and confident enough to earn their living. If no, then I’d say that women must not at all feel offended if they are not provided with proper education like their male counterparts, as after all we need a support to sustain our living.

In these small and unrealised issues, we ourselves prove that we are indeed inferior. I, being a woman, feel that I have the ability to uphold my career and abide by all the responsibilities of work and family. So, next time before shouting your throat out for equal rights, make sure you bear in mind that you are actually equal in all aspects.

If a woman wants, she can change the world. Think deeper, act diligently and live with dignity.

SHAKTIMAN, the most loved superhero of all Indian kids born in the 90s, and a hit series on the television, Shaktimaan is soon going to hit a comeback this year, as first reported by TOI. It recalls some of the nostalgic moments of childhood for those who were brought up in the 90s watching Shaktimaan on Doordarshan, dreaming of becoming super powerful and genius like him. Creating an imaginary villain to fight with him just like the Indian Superhero and win over the heart of his lady love could be the only dream for Shaktimaan lovers. Even after the show had gone off air, which was a major turn down for many, its memories and the dialogues were still kept alive through funny Facebook shares and Instagram memes till today. Those who have fond memories of watching Indian television's first superhero Shaktimaan, while growing up have a reason to rejoice, as the hit show is slated to make a comeback on the television.

THE PLOT OF THE TELIVISON SERIES: SHAKTIMAAN

For all those being deprived of the fortune to watch the series, the kids of 20th century and for all those who want to go back to their childhood by reliving the story of SHAKTIMAN, here’s the storyline for you.

Like every dramatic action thriller, the story begins with the risings of evil, villainly powers of Kali Yuga, who was born to just bring distortions in mankind and peace. The heroic force opposing him was a mystical sect of saints known as "Suryanshis”, who chose a man to rise up against all odds and defeat the evil prevailing within the society. Yes, this superhero was named as SHAKTIMAAN, who took the pledge to fight against the evils of corruption, societal injustice and other evil conspiracies plotted against the mankind. He was given this title of SHAKTIMAAN by the curious world of today, who had never seen such heroic strengths of any other human being. Only later, it was revealed that the mysterious superhero sought to be the incarnation of SHRI SATHYA, who had formed the Surya sect.

To live with a normalcy and be out of the sight of the main antagonist, Tamraj Kilvish, SHAKTIMAAN disguised himself as a ordinary photographer with a comical geeky name of Pandit Gangadhar Vidyadhar Mayadhar Omkarnath Shastri (too long to remember, but not for those who had loved him wholeheartedly). Just like any other story of a superhero leading a normal life, their exits a woman for whom he had fallen for. Unsurprisingly, she is already in love with the Superhero (who is actually the ‘normal guy ‘), here, Geeta Vishwas, a journalist is the leading lady of the story.

Most importantly, what gives the Indian touch to our hero is the sub-plot behind his creation. Shaktimaan claims to energize his internal spiritual and mystical powers ignited with continuous and typical practice of Hindu philosophical and cultural activities like Yoga Sadhana and Mediation combining the five elements of life namely fire, earth, water, wind and sky, to let the powers be invigorate his body . He advocates the ethnic values taught by Bhagwat Geeta. As cliché as it sounds now, the show still made the kids believe in the true powers of nature and the predictable triumph of the truth over injustice.

GOOD NEWS!

The reboot of the TV series will be casted with the blast from the past, actor Mukesh Khanna, who was the SHAKTIMAAN of previous series as well, shall reappear on your television sets with his power-packed performance and stomach-tickling comedy timing. As reported by INDIA TODAY, the reboot of the show will see the comeback of the 57 year old actor on TV sets.

In his interview with TOI, Mukesh khanna told that he has been working hard to get into the right shape before the show’s shooting commences, adding to which the old-time actor said “We are planning the return of Shaktimaan on television and the discussion is going on with few channels. I can’t commit the date but you will get it soon. I am working on the look and the body for it. I have already reduced 8 Kilos and will be losing another 8kgs.I am not trying to get six pack abs. I want to try and match up the look that I had 15 years back. People relate to me as SHAKTIMAAN and I can’t offer the role to anyone”. Undoubtedly, he is a true superhero, battling with old age and worn out energy, striving hard to cheer up the hearts of the people who have admired him for a long time. This is why, KEHLAAYA WO! : SHAKTIMAAAN! (just like the title song shouted that aloud with a old-fashioned music composition and the sounds of thunder and “ ZOOOP” in the background). Hoping for an awe-struck comeback, decidedly, the shooting of the renowned Indian television series shall commence by this year itself.

With 4 consecutive hits, namely 3IDIOTS( 2009), KAI PO CHE (2013), 2 STATES (2014) and KICK (2015), Chetan Bhagat has won over the hearts of Indian audience along with his readers who had been in love with his writing style since five point someone (2004) to his latest bestseller to Making India Awesome (2015). With all his books being a hit, Chetan Bhagat could be considered as Mika Singh for the writing industry (if that exists). Besides a hold over biggest hits of novels, he is also a noted public intellectual, writing for columns about the youth, career development and current affairs in the leading newspapers of both HINDI and ENGLISH. He is also an international superstar as recognized by THE NEW YORK TIMES, citing Bhagat as “the biggest selling English language novelist in India’s history”, selling over 7 million copies in the city.

Successful screen writing efforts of Chetan Bhagat have always turned out to be a blockbuster hit, snatching away 4 star ratings and the overwhelming love of the movie spectators. He has also won the Filmfare Award for Best Screenplay for the movie Kai Po Che! (Loosely based on his famous novel, THE THREE MISTAKES OF MY LIFE)

Among his other qualifications, Bhagat is known to deliver speeches at programmes organized by corporate, educational institutes, newspapers and media houses like Dainik Bhaskar, The Times of India and at other conferences apart from writing columns for the same.

He was also the judge of the dance reality show named NACH BALIYE, which made him a part of several controversies of being a judge of a dance show despite of being from a literature background and the fiery rivalry with his co-judges. He has been always a flash in the news for his successful endeavors to his cooked-up controversies linked to famous personalities. Yet, he still continues to straddle on the ladder to fame with much ease. And so are his thrivingly scripted movies highlighting subjects of Rom-com, friendship and fictitious situations based on the reality of life.

To offer yet another treat to his lovely audience, Chetan Bhagat is all set to transcend the new-age Bollywood films with his latest movie, HALF GIRLFRIEND.

For those who have not read his book, the story revolves around two characters Madhav and Riya, battling over the issues of difference in culture, status, linguistic struggle and thoughts on love. The story is well-descriptive and offers imaginary based visuals to its readers. Just like every romantic novel, the story is set on the background of boy falling over the girl who starts to help him in coping up with his poor communication skills, but the girl friendzones him considering it just to be a fling and marries someone else. But Half Girlfriend is not just about that, here, our girl, Riya agrees to his proposal but only the half of it. Yes, she agrees to be his “half girlfriend”. Chetan bhagat quoted the storyline as a “unique Indian phenomenon” as the boy may think he is more than friends with the girl, but the girl is still not his girlfriend. Adding to which he said,” As I thought we needed a term like 'Half girlfriend'. Because, in India, that is what most men get” (LOL!).

With a unique twist in the tale, even the star cast is a “never before seen” together, namely Arjun Kapoor and Shradha Kapoor. A production of Balaji and Chetan Bhagat himself, the upcoming movie is directed by the SRK of new-era romantic films, Mohit Suri with the two stars, Arjun Kapoor (who has recently posted a photo of him with a basketball, announcing the commencement of his latest upcoming, on Instagram) and the beautiful, Shradhha Kapoor to play the roles of the two protagonists. The film has just commenced its shooting this week and is expected to be realized on 28th April 2017. Expecting a big from the superhero of Indian writers, the movie seems to be one of the most awaited films of the year.

Hope this so called “Indian phenomenon” is largely accepted by the Indian audience and specifically youngsters, who could be or have gone through the similar dilemma of love and friendship.

SAROJINI NAGAR

The #1 had to be Sarojini Nagar, it deserves it. from being included in the rap of Yo yo Honey Singh to the first name under the shopping list of almost every girl, Sarojini nagar has always been the first love for every Delhite thinking of going for street shopping. From the trendy ruffed jeans to in-fashion plazos, from casual wear kurtas to wedding Sarees and ethnic wears, from tassel bags to leading-edge belts and crockeries, it’s a one –stop destination. Atleast, as a girl, I believe Sarojini shall never disappoint you with humongous choices of clothes to hot-trending accessories. So next time you think of saving your time and find all what you need (at least in apparels) at an unbelievingly affordable price, this could your dreamland.

Location: South-west Delhi

Nearest Metro Station: INA (yellow line)

LAJPAT NAGAR

The rivalry brother of Sarojini Nagar is Lajpat Nagar, offering you a great variety of apparels (both men and women) along with renowned jewelry shops to get the best blings for the wedding season. In considering the weather these days, the market shall leave you spell-bounded to the shape, color and designs of women- stoles offered. You can buy them at just Rs 50-100 and this equates into buying many stoles for each day to wear!

The market is also a shopping-destination for men offering shades for a heroic look (you know, fake Raybans) to swaggy shoes and belts.

Even home decoration goodies like scented plastic flowers to beautifully sculpted idols; you will get it all, in the nearby areas of the main market. Along with the vibrant choice of outfits ranging from party wears to daily rugs, Lajpat Nagar is famously known for the right- sense-hitting street food as well.

Location: South-west Delhi

Nearest Metro Station: Lajpat Nagar (Purple line)

KAMLA NAGAR

This market is typically for the college-going students who want to match up with fashion even when they are struggling to cope up with their own lectures. Located near famous college campuses, the market seems to resort to the dire needs of the students by offering them a large variety of “super –in” apparels with an acceptable quality over a bonus of affordable prices.

From swanky mobile phone covers to “Dope” caps and the most-wanted crop-tops to the sophisticated jhumkas, the market fulfills the needs of all. Even if you don’t feel like shopping, you may visit the cafes nearby that provide you with quality food at student-pocket-friendly prices.

Location: North Delhi (specifically, North Campus

Nearest Metro Station: Vishwa Vidayala, Yellow line

JANPATH

Janpath or the alternate name is People’s path; the market is NOT- just about apparels and accessories. It offers a wide variety of home furniture to decorative paintings. It is also one of the famous tourist destinations for offering typical Indian stuff like carpets, silver jewelry, leather shoes ( jutis , Mojris , Kohlapuris) and sculptures of Indian Gods. If talking about apparels, you shall see piles of clothes on the streets with vibrant colors and sizes for all kinds, and ‘COOL’ T-shirts speaking about TYPICAL DELHI PEOPLE. Located in the heart of the city, it is a major crowd-attracter, bursting with many kinds of people, especially on weekends. Thus, choosing a week-day for Janpath shall sound more rational.

Location: Near Connaught place

PALIKA BAZAAR

The word ‘Bazaar’ itself describes a market offering a large variety of lucrative shopping items with the much needed hodge-podge of people. With being ‘world widely’ known ( just like Indians say “world-famous”),the market does not stops at just apparels but even electronics like mobile phones, music systems, bluetooth-speakers, hair-straighteners, study lamps and whatnot. You may even find CD’s and DVD’s of latest Bollywood movies at shockingly low price. If you were longing to have a body –tattoo, the services of the same are already present. Not just that, it’s one of the first underground AC market located at the centre of Cannought Place. In this dreadful, unbearable heat, one may choose a breezing underground market over an open-street. Palika bazaar could be like a Genie in a bottle for all those looking out for gadgets to apparels at the lowest of its costs.

Location: Connaught Place (adjacent to Janpath)

Nearest Metro Station: Rajeev Chowk (yellow line)

MAJNU KA TILA (MINI TIBET)

For all the bikers who are in love with leather-jackets, this place shall not disappoint you, by offering good quality jackets within affordable limits. For girls, there is much more to buy apart from apparels, like junk jewelry to in-fashion boots and sandals. The market is also known as Tibetan colony or mini-Tibet due to the dominant number of Tibetan refugees as local residents. Apart from being a bliss for fashionistas, the place offers quality Tibetan cuisine in fine dining restaurants and funky cafes to awaken your taste-buds with the homely- delicacies of Tibet.

Also, the market is situated near a magnificent Gurdwara, on the banks of the river Yamuna. Legend claim that a Muslim hermit who ferried people across the river was blessed by Guru Nanak Dev for his selfless devotion and this sanctuary immortalizes his memory. Apart from an interesting history, the Gurdwara never fails to fulfill your cravings for a tasty langar (especially, the halwa). If you are looking forward to a unique-experience along with good street-shopping, Majnu ka Tila is the right choice.

Location: New Aruna Nagar Colony (alternative name for Maju ka Tila), North Delhi.

Nearest Metro Station: Vidhan Sabha (yellow line)

KAROL BAGH

This market can be also known as the godfather of all the street-markets in Delhi. Being one of the oldest street-market (dominantly), Karol Bagh is also a growing market for business and other commercial activities. Karol Bagh is quite a huge market and thus, one cannot definitely roam around the entire market in one visit. The Karol Bagh “industry” is separated into different roads that house own market wherein each road market focuses primarily on offering a specific product or products. For example, ‘Silver Street’ is a jewelry lane that only offers Silver and Silver Jewellery along with partial gemstones and diamond. The Goldsmiths and Craftsmen here are known as very well-known in same field throughout country. Following to which, a ‘Gadget street’ offering various electronics at slashed prices. CAUTION: Don’t be fainted upon hearing an unbelievingly low price of Skull-candy Headphones (which will obviously not be original). Karol Bagh is one of the biggest outlets for footwear at affordable prices for both men and women. Also, imported products like chocolates, candies, shampoos, deodorants and other daily used items are available at a comparatively low cost.

Location: Central Delhi

Nearest Metro Station: Karol Bagh (blue line)

Thus, step into any of these markets and you shall not go empty handed along with an experience to be remembered for quite long. The markets shall always leave a significant mark over your thoughts on Delhi, its people, its colors’ and its over-indulging love for everything.

Summers are the perfect time to plan vacations and go out for adventures as a break from monotonous boring routine. Stop complaining about sweltering heat and plan for trips to the best available spots.

Here are the names of few places which offer best adventure sports in and around Delhi.

FLYBOY AIR SAFARI, GURGAON

Flyboy air safari offers the best 20 minutes ride where you can experience the warmth of the limitless sky and fulfil the most cherished dream of flying like bird under expert guidance.

Indian mountaineering foundation is located in one of the busiest and beautiful place of Delhi University’s south campus. The IMF headquarter complex was inaugurated on 24 December, 1980 by then Prime Minister Smt. Indira Gandhi.

F9- GO- CARTING, GURGAON

A Go kart is a small four wheeler cart designed specifically to be raced in designated tracks. F9 is famous for its technologically efficient and safe manufactured cars.

Get the wild and awesome experience of carting like never before in vehicles of your choice.

Location: Sector 17-18, Link Road( near IFFCO chowk), Gurgaon

Rate: INR 250 for 7 laps

INR 350 for 10 laps

INR 500 for 16 laps

AWARA ADVENTURE FARM, SOHNA

Awara adventure farm has been designed for adventure sports far away from the hassle of the city life. It provides various activities like flying fox, obstacle course, suspension bridge, balance walk, zig zack, swimming etc.

Shikhar Adventure Park is an ideal place for organising educational trips and corporate get together. It conducts various activities and can be a weekend planning spot to get a break from the daily routine and try something new.

Location: Wazirpur Village, sector 92, Gurgaon

DAMDAMA LAKE RESORT, SOHNA, GURGAON ROAD

Damdama lake is one of the biggest lake in Haryana. One can have a great day by its side enjoying boating and other adventure sports which include artificial rock climbing, zip lining, target jumping, Valley crossing and jumaring, tire crossing, air walking, Burma bridge, suspension bridge and commando net.

This place has a charm of its own and has a characteristic of a fun weekend trip.

Location: on the banks of Damdama Lake, Sohna , Gurgaon.

CAMP WILD, DHAUJ, GAZIABAD

Camp Dhauj is an adventure camp located near Village Dhauj , Camp Dhauj is situated in lap of aravali hills near Manger village in Faridabad District Haryana. Aravali hills have hard granite rocks , perfect for rock climbing , rappelling activities. Camp Dhauj is also good for bird watching, 67 bird species have been spotted near Dhauj. It is highly praise worthy for natural rock climbing, Rappelling and river crossing .

AMUSEMENT PARKS

There are quite a few amusement water parks with rides that blow your mind and refreshes you from inside out. Fun n food village and WOW( world of wonders )are the few notable ones that gives an amazing experience.

Location:

WOW: Noida

Fun n food village: Gurgaon

So this summer don’t just sit home in this unbearable heat. It might help you to overcome your fear or in certain cases enhance your risk taking ability. Let the adventure make you lively and provide you with the zeal and enthusiasm like never before.

According to latest report from Agence France-Presse (AFP) UEFA will on Tuesday announce a first verdict against Russia for the football unrest caused by their fans at Euro 2016 while England questioned security for high-risk matches this week. Euro 2016 is being held under an umbrella of very high security since Europe has suffered from acts of terrorism since 2015. Already a French court has sentenced 10 men to a year. Six Britons, three French and one Austrian were found guilty of violence around the England-Russia match in Marseille on Saturday. 2015 and 2016 have been very traumatic year for France and there is fear of another terror strike during the month-long European Championship finals expected to draw two million visitors to France.

There has been serious allegation and accusations leveled against Russian fans and UEFA charged the Russian Football Union over the disturbances. During the match with England racist chanting and fireworks were thrown at the Marseille stadium which could have caused serious injuries to spectators and among them were women and children. Russia could possibly face a hefty fine, reprimanded or have points deducted from their qualifying campaign for the Euro 2020 tournament because of the acts of violence and racist chants uttered by their fans. Any repeat of disturbance has the possibility of Russia and England being disqualified from Euro 2016.

However England Football Federation (FA) took a strong exception to the charges which have been leveled and in a letter to UEFA, protested in a letter to UEFA that a distinction should be made between the actions of Russian football supporters who according to the FA were responsible for violence and only Russia have be charged over their conduct. During the match that was held in Stade Velodrome Marseille, Russian fans crossed a barrier to cause bodily harm to English supporters, including women and children. FA chairman Greg Dyke raised "serious concerns" about security when England and Russia will play their next matches. In a letter to UEFA Mr. Dyke said "We have serious concerns around the security arrangements for the city (Lille) in the next few days."

So long has it been that India came together as a union of different territories since 1949. Manipur is one such territory which joined India at that time. On literal translation it is “Land of Jewels” which was a former Asiatic Kingdom with a record of over 3000 years. Nestled in northeast region of country at the border with Myanmar, the state is home to 2.8 million people belonging to myriad ethnic groups and communities.

Unfortunately, in the recent times, it has also been one of the most conflicted of Indian states. In August 2015, the legislative assembly of Manipur passed three bills - (a) Protection of Manipur peoples Bill 2015, (b) Manipur Land Revenue and Land Reforms (Seventh Amendment) Bill 2015, and (c) Manipur Shops and Establishment (Second amendment) Bill 2015, which has led to lots of riots, controversies and protests in the state, as well as recently, at the Capital city, in the first week of June outside Manipur Bhawan where a lot of students protesters where lathi-charged and 25 persons including policemen got serious injuries.

As per the news, the on-going protest is about these three Anti-tribal bills against the indigenous people of Manipur. But the question that is bothering the rest of India is, what is the real issue behind the protests, why are the tribal protesting and the bills termed Anti-Tribal if the bills are passed to save the indigenous rights of the Manipur people?

Before the merger of Manipur to India, the entry into Manipur was regulated by an imposition of a permit system. That permit system was abolished w.e.f. 18 November 1950 by a notification issued by the then Chief Minister of the State, Himmat Singh . Since then, there is no restriction in the entry to the state of Manipur by other citizens of India. 1951 saw a lot of influx of people into the state including other tribes that belong to Manipur, refugees from Myanmar, Bangladesh and Nepal, and other outsiders from other Indian states. According to the census of 2011 of Manipur, the stats showed a 17 lakh of people are indigenous people and 10 lakh are outsiders, out of which 20 lakh are of Manipuri origin and the rest 7 lakh of Non-Manipuri origin.

Fears and Apprehensions

Since the increase of non- Manipuri people at such a drastic rate, as a report suggested, the influx of tourists has risen exponentially thus creating a demographic imbalance in the region. If this was not enough, illegal immigration from Bangladesh, Nepal and Myanmar has also contributed to the crisis. This has created fear among the locals over employment and availability of resources, at a time where there already exists stiff competition between the locals and outsiders over jobs. The Manipuri people are concerned with the saving of rights and land of the indigenous people thereby placing a demand to re-establish the Inner Line Permit system (ILP). A Joint Committee for Inner Line Permit system (JCILPS) has also been formed.

Introduction and passing of bills

There were three bills passed owing to the fears of threat on the Land rights of the Manipuri people by the Non- Manipuri’s. According to the bill, (a) Protection of Manipur peoples Bill 2015, it will list all the Non-Manipuri’s and enforce a restriction on the entry of the Indian Citizens in the state. (b) Manipur Land Revenue and Land Reforms (Seventh Amendment) Bill 2015, won’t permit the outsiders to purchase or own lands that belong to the tribal people of the state. (c)Manipur Shops and Establishment (Second amendment) Bill 2015, every employer will register all employees under him/her and issue a renewable identity card to them.

Repercussions of the Bills

The immediate effect of the bills were seen last year when the tribal groups led an agitation against the bills which resulted in few unidentified people torching up an MP’s house along with other 6 MLA’s houses at Churachandpur, resulting in killing of 9 tribals and prompting an immediate imposition of curfew in the town. The main reasons of agitations were said to be : (i) The acknowledgment of “Manipur people” as an according to the “National Register of Citizens, 1951, Census Report 1951 and Village Directory of 1951 and their descendants who have contributed collective social, cultural and economic life of Manipur”, (ii) No hill districts organization were consulted in the drafting of the bills, (iii) True motives behind ILP. The tribal people claimed that the bills impinge upon their rights and hence should be withdrawn.

The Real Issue

Although the bill was passed to save the rights of indigenous people, the fact that the tribal are still protesting is confusing. The news have surfaced that, the three bills passed were all by the Ministers who belong to Meitei tribe which is not included under the Scheduled Tribes of India. The Meitei community dominates the valley districts whereas the other tribes are residing on the hill districts. Hence, the Land Reforms Bill is perceived by many among the tribes Kuki and Naga communities, as attempts by the Meitei community to gain access to Scheduled hill districts. They argue that outsiders are never a real threat since they can neither own land in the valley areas, nor are they competitors for government jobs. Under Section 158 of the Manipur Land Revenue & Land Reform Act 1960, land belonging to a Scheduled Tribe in the valley areas cannot be sold to a non-Scheduled Tribe person without the prior consent of the Deputy Commissioner concerned. Therefore, if the bill is enacted into law, a person needs to have been enumerated in all three registers — the National Register of Citizens, 1951, the Census Report 1951 and the Village Directory of 1951 — to be considered as belonging to the State. Conversely, being registered in just one or two registers/directories means he or she has not met the criteria. Hence if the bill becomes a law and is implemented strictly, many people in the hill areas face the prospect of being excluded. In 1951, many of the remote hill areas were cut off, without proper communication and transportation systems which still is the case for some far flung areas. Since Manipur attained Statehood status only in 1972, there is a possibility that many of the local people may be listed as outsiders because of their inability to provide the required documents. If such a situation arises, who should be blamed — the people or the government?

Thereupon the protests were led by the Manipur Tribals Forum Delhi (MTFD) on June 8, 2016 pleading the Center to not enforce these bills into laws, since the State government isn’t responding to their pleas. At present, the bills still stand rejected by the Center. The student protests continues with a hope that the Center will help them from not being further deprecated.

For decades the state governments have in the eight states of North-East(NE) been ruled by Congress and other State parties. The turnout from this year’s i.e. 2016 state elections in Assam has undoubtedly stirred up things in the NE as the BJP won with high majority votes. It contested for the first time in the Bodoland Territorial Council Elections and even won a seat. BJP led in 69 assembly constituencies in the Lok Sabha elections 2016 by winning 7 Lok Sabha seats in Assam. BJP and its allies Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) won a combined 86 seats in the 126-member Assam assembly.

Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal came in legislature who won against Congress veteran Tarun Gogoi, who accepted his party’s defeat and affirms to play a constrictive opposition in the Assembly. Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself showed his gratitude and happiness towards the people of Assam and even commented that this win of BJP was “historic by all standards”.

This victory is indeed “historic”. An important accomplishment to be noticed, is that, out of eight states in NE- BJP has strong hold in Assam and Arunanchal Pradesh of, as well as forming alliances with Nagaland People’s Front(NPF) in Nagaland and Sikkim Democratic Front(SDF) in Sikkim, which puts the larger BJP family -the NDA- holding the reins in four of the eight states of the region at present.

So does that mean that NE-doors have been opened up for NDA?

Here’s what we know:

Reasons for BJP’s victorious win-win in Assam

Brilliant Strategy placed by the BJP as it let the party choose it leaders from other alliance parties without quibbling about ideologies. The CM himself has been once anointed as “jatiyo nayak” (National hero) after his PIL forced the quashing of the Illegal Migrants( Determination By Tribunals) Act of 1983. The party also welcomed with open arms Himanta Biswa Sarma, one­time Gogoi lieutenant who quit the Congress in frustration over the rise of Gogoi’s son in the party.

The BJP repackaged its core Hindutva agenda in the Assamese context till it became an unbending stance on illegal immigration from Bangladesh.

Fast-pace development plans- such as, Initiation for all round development with 24×7 power & water supply, ensuring 100 percent irrigation coverage of arable lands, offering employment to 25 lakh youths and withdrawal of oral interviews for 3rd & 4th category government jobs in the State, etc.

Here’s what we need to know:

Perceptions

Out of the eight states of NE, Mizoram, Meghalaya and Nagaland are Christian majority states. Assam, though a Hindu-majority state, has a large presence of Muslims, mostly of Bangladeshi origin, and Tripura is dominated by Bengali Hindus who migrated to that state during the 1947 partition. Buddhists, practitioners of an animistic faith called Donyi- Polo and Hindus make for the majority of the population of Arunachal Pradesh while the majority of Manipur’s population is made of Meiteis who are mostly Vaishnavites with Christian tribals and a small section of Pangals (who are Muslims) making up the rest. The overwhelming majority of the people of Sikkim are Hindus and Buddhists. The NE, thus, is an eclectic mix of various tribes and peoples practising different religions.

Now that BJP is in alliance with NPF and SDF it busts the myth that BJP’s appeal is limited to only Hindus, and that too the caste Hindus. If that were the case, Nagaland’s Christians would not have brooked their ruling party aligning itself with BJP. With BJP training its guns for Manipur elections as well one expects since Meities are staunch Hindus therefore will now be inclined towards the BJP, the surprise is that the BJP is also working among the Christians who are mostly Nagas, in the state. Strangely enough the cow slaughter ban, the move against conversions by the Church, which is championed by the RSS and the extended Sangh Parivar does not seem to have touched Nagas here. It is also trying to get a hold in Meghalaya, another Christian state, and getting a good response. Meghalaya elections are in 2018, and the BJP has time to expand its network. The thriving Marwari community, who control most of the business across the NE are staunch BJP supporters. But the problem isn’t religion across these areas, it is the land. People are very protective of their lands hence there are laws in some states for non-tribals from preventing them to purchase tribal lands. In fact there are taxes imposed on immigrants for their stay in the state.

The development that the BJP party is trying to bring about in the NE region is greatly being supported, as people want change in their region, economically as well as politically. Also because these attempts may actually connect the “mainland” (as many call it) India to the North-East India, which may result in the end of various disputes in the region. This region has always felt neglected and now there is an opportunity where these people might get normal recognition as Indians as the rest of India. The central governments hardly ever paid attention to these regions or the did anything to resolve insurgencies in states like, Manipur, Nagaland, etc. Then most of these states are the border to many countries which results to infiltration of migrants which hampers the economy the surrounding the aura of NE.

Although the scenery is now changing, the issues are still delicate in the NE. They want development but without any encroachment on their 'tribalism'. They are territorial people given to the fact that they have lived on their own sustaining themselves from the environment, food, vegetation, etc., that is available here. The people here are highly tourist friendly, also the beauty of landscape and exotic vegetation makes it a highly desired adventure destination, which could be used as an asset in increasing national economy at large.

Now to answer my question, is it the rise of the Lotus or just a normal change in NE politics, I would have to say, I agree with both. It is indeed an opportunity for the BJP to make their roots stronger and hold a firm grip in these regions, but in that effort the face of NE might completely change in lieu with the development plans for the region, and it is also a change in the politics, since now the two huge national political parties(INC and BJP) are contesting in these areas. Also the competition and party performance has a chance of improvement, or else, earlier it only used to be Congress and any other state party. What we can only hope for is, this blooming of Lotus in Assam advances the state performance, simultaneously, also contributing in further advancements of other NE states.

It is 2016; A time when the United States of America is back with its Presidential elections. The incumbent president, Democrat Barack Obama, is ineligible to be elected to a third term due to term limits established by the Twenty-second Amendment to the United States Constitution. There are numerous potential candidates in the democratic and republican party; the two main contesting parties of USA. As Barack Obama has completed with the set tenure, the winner of this election will become the 45th President of the United States.

The election of President and Vice President of the United States is an indirect election in which citizens of the United States who are registered to vote in one of the fifty states or Washington, D.C. cast ballots for a set of members of the U.S. Electoral College, known as electors. These electors then in turn cast direct votes, known as electoral votes, for President and Vice President of the United States. The candidate becomes the PRESIDENT if he attains an absolute majority, same is the case with the Vice President.. If no candidate receives an absolute majority for President, the House of Representatives chooses the President; if no one receives a majority for Vice President, then the Senate chooses the Vice President. The Electoral College and its procedure is established in the U.S. Constitution by Article II, Section 1, Clauses 2 and 4; and the Twelfth Amendment (which replaced Clause 3 after it was ratified in 1804).

The upcoming elections have become the major point of discussions in USA; Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders being the major opponents.

The campaigns:

The campaigning for election has been going on from around one year. Clinton held her first major campaign rally June 13, 2015, at Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Park on the southern tip of New York City’s Roosevelt Island.

Clinton addressed income inequality in the United States, paid family leave, equal pay for women, college affordability, and incentives for companies that provide profit sharing to employees in her speech winning the hearts of millions of people and giving the policies she will work on. She did not address free trade agreements during the kickoff speech, but made statements the next day suggesting that the current negotiations should be abandoned unless improved. The campaign said more than 5,500 people were in attendance, but as per general estimate of the media the number of people present were less than said.

Clinton, whose first quest for the Democratic nomination ended in a concession speech almost exactly eight years ago to the day, now becomes the first woman ever to win the nomination of a major political party in the United States

Though there seems more hope for Clinton, but in this bright lights of the political revolution, Bernie Sanders does not sound like a candidate who is about to give up. “Here we are in mid-June, and we’re still standing!” he said on Thursday to a crowd at a stadium in Washington, D.C., where he will compete at the bitter end of a long Democratic primary, delegate counts damned.
How and when Sanders and Clinton peaceably wind down the primary campaign over the next few days and weeks will be crucial for unifying the Democratic Party. Barack Obama said that Clinton is one of the most qualified and apt person to win over this reputed post. He has shown full confidence over him. She has got the courage, the compassion and the heart to get the job done.

Bernie Sanders has attracted a multitude of younger and independent voters that Clinton and the Democratic Party desperately hope to adopt. He has gained the support of the working young generation who is responding to his ideas and principles.

“Bernie’s going to be very good for the party,” said Sen. Harry Reid, who has been in discussions with Sanders. He, recently, met Barack Obama and influenced with his ideals Mr. Obama thanked him for shining the spotlight on the issues like economic inequality, the outsize influence of money in our politics and bringing young people in the process.

So far, much of the outreach has come from Clinton’s camp. It was Clinton who phoned Sanders last Tuesday after his crushing loss in California. So far, much of the outreach has come from Clinton’s camp. It was Clinton who phoned Sanders last Tuesday after his crushing loss in California, reversing the usual custom of the loser calling the victor.

Bernie often attracts large multitude of crowd in his public speech. His cover up for young generation will definitely act in his favour. After the Orlando terrorist attack, Bernie has been more active in campaigning. This attack paved a way for the political parties to come in the eyes of common people. Parties used the incident to get a new issue to work on –the safety of the people. Needless to say, people are more concerned about their safety and protection than other social and economical amenties.

BUSY ELECTIONS

The US elections will be scheduled on 8 as like always presidential election is to be conducted on a Tuesday in the month of November because of the factors involved (weather, harvests and worship). When voters used to travel to the polls by horse, Tuesday was an ideal day because it allowed people to worship on Sunday, ride to their county seat on Monday, and vote on Tuesday–all before market day, Wednesday. The month of November also fits nicely between harvest time and harsh winter weather, which could be especially bad to people travelling by horse and buggy. What happens is quite uncertain, but the election campaigning is on full swing. Let us wait for what more surprises are in store for the world and hope for the best for the super force of the world.

Mass shooting at a gay nightclub PULSE at Orlando, Florida has left everyone speechless. This is one of the worst massive shooting in American History where 50 people were killed and 53 people injured by a single gunman.

On Sunday morning, June 12, when people of Florida were still trying to understand the murder of The Voice star, Christina Grimmie on Saturday night, at the Plaza, Orlando, Florida, came the news of this massive shootout at a gay nightclub which has raised fear in the minds and hearts of the LGBTQ community as well as among the people of Florida.

It is still not clear what made Omar Mateen to allegedly walk into the club with an assault rifle and kill 50 people. But according to the reports, Mateen’s father said that he might know what might have triggered the killing. He told NBC news, that Mateen had been enraged by the sight of two men kissing each other months earlier, and said that might be related to the massacre. While the authorities claim Mateen called the police before the attack and pledged allegiance to the Islamic State. Questions have been rising whether this mass shooting was an act of homophobia Or an act of terrorism?

Even with many indicators it is yet not clear, we cannot label the act, since according to sources, Mateen was reportedly regular at the gay nightspot and used gay dating apps. A few of the clubgoers have reported to seeing him often at the club. A few others have claimed him to have been using multiple gay apps, including Grindr, with mutual acquaintances “to hook”. If it really is so, then his going and killing people 50 people at a gay club doesn’t explain. Was it really the two men kissing he had seen trigger such violence? Isn’t such a scene common at a gay club? If he was really homophobic why would he visit gay clubs often.

Indeed, even if the motive hasn't been established, the attacks are likely to have the effect of turning gay clubs into targets, and leaving some in the LGBTQ community afraid to go to them. The Islamic State, to which Mateen allegedly pledged allegiance before carrying out the attack, betrays horrific intolerance towards people from the LGBTQ community in Muslim societies around the world.

But yet again, the thing is Mateen himself didn’t grow up in a Muslim society. He was born in New York and grew up in an environment where he surely must have witnessed the evolution of LGBTQ rights movement over the last few decades. James Comey, FBI Chief, said, Mateen had been “radicalised” while consuming online propaganda and that he had claimed allegiance to Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in a series of calls during the attack. Although yet again, US authorities said they had found no direct links between Islamic State and Mateen, the US-born son of Afghan immigrants.

So what really is it? Just because Mateen pledged to Islam before killing, is it right to link Islam and terrorism and demonise Muslims, or call it a homophobic act. Whatever this is, one thing is very clear, as President Obama also said, this is an act of hate. This is not just about the 50 people killed in Orlando, it is about every queer person who is endangered not only by gunmen, but by homophobic religious leaders, tweeting politicians, violent family members, coworkers, classmates, neighbours, creators of media and more. Today when lots of Indian politicians take to twitter to sympathize with the massacre, they forget that with India, the fear among LGBTQ community is not from outside but in-built. Gay sex is still illegal. Section 377, a colonial law that criminalises “unnatural sex”, remains on the books in India.

Once again religion and violence are brought on the same platform. Whatsoever may have instigated Mateen to such a horrifying shootout, this attack will be the deadliest mass shooting by a single gunman and the deadliest terrorist attack on U.S. soil since the 9/11 attacks.

India is a land of engineers and one cannot simply deny that upon seeing the current scenario. One of the hilarious scenes from a famous Hindi movie, 3 Idiots had just made it to the point, where the father of a ‘just arrived’ son uttered, “mera beta Engineer banega” (My child will become an Engineer). The words felt like a thunderclap to the boy who didn’t even know in what language was the man in front of him, is speaking. Fun-fact : With a factory output of 1.5 million engineering graduates passing out every year (which also runs the risk of not getting a job at all for almost 40% of them) India holds about 2000 Engineering colleges , with 700 colleges alone in Andhra Pradesh itself.( That’s phenomenal!)

The second “acceptable” and “dignified” profession is to become a Doctor. India CAN produce a force of 50 thousand doctors every year, with better regulation of medical education. Undeterred by which, India accounts for about 10 lakh doctors and other medically engaged professionals in the year 2014. Yet, the government has clearly stated the shortage in terms of “quality of medical facilities”.

As reported, there is only one doctor for every 1700 people in the country. Maybe that is reason why, Indian parents consider it to be their societal duty to give the country, good numbers of doctors at the cost of their own child’s dreams.

A reality check: Out of those million of students, nearly 20- 30% are exposed to the risk of not getting a job at all. Whereas ,the large percentage of the ‘fortunate’ ones who do end up getting a job after an engineering degree take up jobs which are well below their technical qualifications, since the supply far outnumbers the demand. They do not get jobs for which they are qualified or ‘suitable’ jobs, which makes the matter even worse. Also, the staggering growth of IT industry in India has slowed down to a 10.2% growth rate at present. The demand for qualified professionals has also been understandably gone down too.

Such critical situation only calls for a better investment in the field of IT and Engineering sector or opting for a more rational and easier-to-do solution, GET A LIFE BEYOND ENGINEERING!

With the growing popularity of up-coming business ideas and startups offering interesting and stable opportunities , one must not just confined his/her potential to the professions which gives them ‘respect’ in the society. Even, a corrupt politician or a money-eating police man earns the so called ‘respect’ (at least on their face), but that does not imply for each one of us should become a politician or a police man. Another dialogue from the same movie, i.e., 3 IDIOT, says, “kaamyab mat bano, kabil bano”( there is no need to strike hard for success, rather focus on being capable in what you do). Rather than taking into consideration of other’s opinion including your own parents, one should try to achieve what they actually are actually passionate for.

So, here’s a list of some of unconventional job opportunities in India that also offer good career prospects. Many of them could even pay you higher than salary of a doctor or an average engineer.

Chocolatier

Love chocolates? If yes, (with a witty smile and an instant nod) then you are born for this job. A Chocolatier is an expert who uses his/her wide knowledge of flavor, texture, history and other aspects of chocolates to create delicious and mouth-watering confectioneries, deserts, cakes, candies and sweets out of chocolate and other related products. Chocolatier can become an entrepreneur, by tying up with corporate houses, florists, bakeries, and gift shops to market their products.

Some of the institutes in India offering the same are:

Chocolate Academy, Mumbai

Barry Callebaut India Private Limited, Mumbai

Craft and Social Development Organization, New Delhi

Swisswrap Chocolate Academy, Mumbai

MAPP – Magnificence Academy of Packaging Professionals, New Delhi

SOMMELIER/WINE TASTER

Gulping down bottles of wine just for free. Sounds interesting?

Here’s another upcoming profession to rightly serve your taste buds, Sommelier or wine taster. A Sommelier is the one, who can help in understanding the different types of wine and help pair wines with specific foods. Wine tasters also help choose wines for various restaurants that would go well with their menu. Another interesting option is to organize wine tasting tours in vineyards in India. Wine experts can also write articles on wines for lifestyle magazines. Also, there is a Sommelier championship held in India to provide a platform to the budding professionals in the field of wine tasting.

Some of the institutes offering this course are:

Wine Academy of India ( WAI), Chennai

Register to WSET course

Vinecrest India, Delhi

Institute of Wine and Beverage studies

KBR School of wine, Mumbai

PET GROOMER/ GROOMING

Are you an animal lover? If yes, then say yes to this alternate career option of pet grooming. If have you always earned success in taking good care of the pets, whether or not they belong to you, you may turn out to be the best for your client’s pet as well. As the name suggested, a pet groomer is expected to ensure the hygiene and adequate cleanliness of the pets, ensuring that any kind of wound or disease which the pet may be exposed to is healed along with enhancing better relationships between the pet and the owner as well .Regular grooming is considered essential to ensure improved life span and heath of the pets, and this is the reason this career option is growing popularly, specifically to fulfill needs of upper-middle class and high-class families who wish to provide all comforts of life to their darling pets.

Some of the companies which also offer this course for learning are:

Scoopy Scrub,Delhi

Fuzzy Wuzzy Professional Pet Grooming School, Bangalore

ETHICAL HACKER

Are you into the world of computer and its fascinating codes?

Hacking down your friend’s social network profile is a mere source of ‘fun’ for you? Then this could be your professional goal. An Ethical Hacker is a certified hacker is a qualification obtained by assessing the security of computer systems, using penetration testing techniques. Many big companies and government agencies look for ethical hackers for various security purposes. An ethical hacker must have a good knowledge of coding in different programming languages. The average salary ranges between Rs.2-5 lakhs for a fresher, and after an experience of five to six years, you can easily command a salary of Rs. 10-12 lakhs annually, depending upon your skills! (Still thinking to apply for IIM?)

Some of the courses where one can apply are:

Indian School of Ethical Hacking ( ISOEH), Kolkata

Institute of Information Security, Mumbai, Pune,Delhi, Chandigarh

Even short courses are offered by many IT companies like Arizona Infotech ( Pune)

DANCE THEREPIST

Do you have happy feet at dancing? The energy and the magic created with the snappy dance steps over the groovy music can even heal depression or any kind of stress, a person maybe undergoing. That’s what this profession is based upon, ‘dance away with worries’. A
Dance therapist uses the psychotherapeutic body movement and dance to support intellectual and emotional functions of the body. Rather than teaching dance, therapists try to assess the individual's needs and issues. Then they initiate and help develop movement patterns, taking off from the physical-emotional-intellectual level of their clients. People with background in dance and psychology can opt for this exciting career option.

Organizations such as the Creative Movement Therapy Association of India is one of the pioneer organizations in the country that offers sessions in dance and movement therapy and have been hugely successful in helping people deal with stress and anxiety better.

PERSONAL SHOPPERS

Do you believe in your strengths of shopping right? If yes, then you should imagine a scenario where you would be paid for it! There are often certain circumstances where one cannot find adequate time to devote for shopping, like organizing wedding can itself be a burden which can be topped with an additional headache for shopping, this when the ‘personal shopper’ pops up into the scene. They help you decide you look for an occasion, keeping in mind your style and help you shop. It's like being a stylist and a shopper, all At once.

Who knows you may be even appointed by celebrities across various fields to be their shopping assistant. Sounds fascinating!

In India there are several image consultant training institutes to groom your knowledge in this field. Online certificate courses can also be received for the same (Visit the official website of IAP Career College)

OCEANOGRAPHER

Diving deep into the unknown fathoms of the ocean and having a glance of the life beneath the visions of the others – this could be your daily routine if you choose to be an oceanographer. Oceanographers or mariners cover a wide range of topics including marine life and ecosystems, ocean circulation, plate tectonics and the geology of the sea floor, and the chemical and physical properties of the ocean. Oceanographers and marine biologists study plants and animals in the marine environment. They take a deep interested in the numbers of marine organisms and how these organisms develop, relate to one another, adapt to their environment, and interact with it.

Centre for Oceans, Rivers, Atmosphere and Land Sciences (CORAL), Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur

Department of Marine Sciences, Goa University, Goa

Apart from those mentioned in the list, one can choose other alternatives for offbeat career options as well, be it a game tester, a foodie (officially food tester), pastry chef and many more. All that one needs to have is, passion and courage to choose the given profession, rather than confining to ones which are identified by the society, and you are all set to attain the higher steps on the success ladder with a secured income and a dynamic job.

The crazy debate of vegetarians and non-vegetarians has been going on for centuries. People prohibit eating non vegetarian food in the name of religion and morality. Most of the vegetarians strictly believe that eating meat and chicken is an immoral, unethical and insensitive act depicting inhumanity and cruelty towards those meek creatures. They criticise fellow beings and feel disgusted for them.

On the other hand, non vegetarians eat it out of taste and some believe that meat, fish and chicken contains more proteins, vitamins and minerals as compared to simple vegetables and grains. Statistics support that seafood and non vegetarian food contains vitamins and proteins that cannot be purely achieved of out of simple food.

But, the actual matter is not about who is interested in eating what; the complete dispute is regarding the mentality that people carry with them. To be precise and simple, the kind of food we eat is based on our preferences and taste. It is upon us to decide what should we eat, and what we must not eat. You must not form an opinion about an individual just because of the kind of food he/she eats. We must respect the choice of all, without criticism and hatred.

EYE OPENERS

There are many people who eat eggs and call themselves eggitarian; perhaps a new trendy word. I have heard people say how can you kill a yet-to-be-born-baby chick? It isn’t so. All eggs do not hatch into chicks. Only fertile eggs that have been incubated under proper conditions can become an embryo and develop into a chick. So, eating eggs doesn’t constitute killing living beings.

Next, when I think about why people put blame on killing fellow living beings, I get shocked. If thought deeply, even plants are living beings then why are plants killed to satisfy human wants? Roots like onion, carrot, sweet potato and beetroot are eaten which are extracted by destroying the plant. If we don’t make it an issue, then why eating meat is an issue. It has been scientifically proved that plants respond to human touch, they understand emotions so why aren’t plant eating animals not blamed for killing plants which provide us with the basic life amenities ? It is ironical that we kill a living being for food and criticise others for killing animals, which is just a different category of living beings. Then, how does the question of immorality come for non vegetarians and not for vegetarians? Just because plants don’t shout, they are immobile and we are not thinking properly about this issue doesn’t mean that killing plants is right. I don’t get why we become so orthodox and irrational on some issues.

The world lives on Darwin’s theory of ‘Survival of the Fittest.’ The entire existence of mankind and other species can be summed up in the urge to survive breaking all the odds and therefore, the food chain goes on. Birth and death are the two sides of the same coin. We humans, indisputably, get wider choice being the most advanced species.

MODIFY YOUR THINKING

So next time when you point out at a non vegetarian and pass tantrums, do remember that it is okay; stop making a fuss about it. Don’t make someone feel guilty for no good reason. Have a broader mentality and accept the fact that no matter what, every species in this world has to do something to fill up his stomach. This is what life is all about. Eat healthy, live pure.

Hairstyle complements our outfit. A person is well dressed when he has an eye pleasing hairstyle which perfectly goes with the dress. A perfect, trendy and appropriate hairstyle can make us look gorgeous, enhancing our beauty. In the busy life schedules, what everyone needs is mesmerising, easy and quick hairstyles.

So here are a few easy, distilled and modern hairstyles that you’ll love.

MESSY BUN

The modern messy bun goes with all every outlook and dress, giving a beautiful look to your face. It is appropriate for all types of occasions and events and is a simple hairstyle that you can do yourself at home. Try it out- it is the new trendy look you can carry with you wherever you go.

TWIST AND PIN

Loose falling hair definitely looks good on you, but with a touch of style and simplicity, your hair seems managed and perfect all the time; exactly the way you want them to be.

FRENCH BRAID

One of the most versatile braid; you may either make it in the centre or at one of the sides, it looks amazing. It can be an added style to complement your ponytail or any other style that goes on your face. If you are not getting what would go on your outfit, French braid will definitely come to your rescue as it goes with all- a gorgeous look for you.

SLEEK VIXEN HAIRSTYLE

A glowing touch of Indian culture coupled with modernity will change your getup for good and give you a new look. It complements both Indian wear and western dresses. Quite simple and unique hairstyle that will make you shine in the crowd.

TWISTED PONY

Tired of simple, plain pony!

Bring a change with the new cute look and stylish pony that will suit your dress and act like a makeover for you. The best part is it only takes two minutes to create it and it is so versatile that you can wear it to any occasion.

TUCK AND COVER HAIRSTYLE

It is the ever popular style. Like the name suggest, it is just two easy steps- tuck it and then cover. It can be used in both formal and casual occasions. Undoubtedly, it is a beautiful and very easy style to create.

HALF UP AND HALF DOWN HAIRSTYLE

When you are running out of time, this half up and half down will complement your flowing hair. It gives a finishing touch to your hair, enhancing style.

SLICKED BACK PONYTAIL

This style doesn’t require an expensive trip to a saloon. Rather it is a great way to add a little bit of style to your look without making too much of efforts. It is even preferred if your clothing is a bit extravagant. No offence, but slicked back ponytail is more dressy than just a regular ponytail.

Hurry up girls, look more modern in less time, less efforts and more perfection.

It is very important for India to get into the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) because, our future energy needs depends on it. However, there is a huge blockade called China, which under no circumstances wants India to join this group of nations, who are principal “supplier countries that seek to contribute to the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons through the implementation of two sets of Guidelines for nuclear exports and nuclear-related exports.” At present, almost all countries support India’s entry except China who sees India as its challenger and main rival in Asia.

But the spirited foreign policy campaign of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modiin the last two years has now put India within a striking distance along with the support of United States of America to get into NSG and this has created a panic situation in Pakistan forcing it to approach other countries who already are supporting India. Already the Pakistanis and the Chinese are upset because somehow India is now a member of Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) which will now allow India to sell BrahMos cruise missile to other countries, particularly in South East Asia and that will tip the balance in the South China Sea where China is hugely disliked and feared.

But the real reasons for China’s insistence on the exclusion of India from the NSG is Pakistan, a nation which has a long history in smuggling and proliferation of nuclear technology and the components need to build powerful nuclear warheads. China wants Pakistan to also get a seat in the NSG club because it wants to maintain a buffer and also keep India’s foreign policy and defense policy Pakistan centric, so there will always be strategic imbalance between China and India. But the fact is every other country who are members of NSG supports India and does not want Pakistan to get access to more nuclear materials, equipment technology because as per Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) Pakistan continues to be ahead of India when it comes to having higher number of nuclear warheads and beats Israel as well as North Korea. Pakistan applied for membership in 2016 with China’s support but given its track record of selling nuclear secrets to countries like North Korea, Libya, and Iran, it is safe to assume the rest of the members will not support Pakistan’s entry into NSG because it is an irresponsible nuclear weapons state.

Right now there are 48 member countries that have the right to veto any new nations joining NSG, and China clearly likes to use this power to lord over India. But this is not the first time this has happened because China being a permanent member of the United Nations Security Consul just recently used its veto power to block Pakistan-based terrorist group Jaish-e-Mohammad and its chief Masood Azhar from being banned; sighting the decision was taken on the bases of “facts” and “procedure” but in general, China is against all forms of terrorism as long as it emanates from Pakistan to hurt India since it has huge strategic and economic stake in the form of China-Pakistan economic corridor (CPEC)

For China, any strategic gain by India is detrimental to its designs in South East Asia and the Indian Ocean Region where it wants to dominate. However with India developing Chabahar Port in Iran which will give us the gateway to Afghanistan, Central Asia, and the Caspian Sea is major Geo-strategic. The distance between Chabahar Port to Gwadar Port is only 170 kilometers which are located in the restive Baluchistan region and India’s “look east” policy is to develop the closer relationship with its South East Asia Neighbors like Japan, South Korea, Vietnam and Cambodia, having left China feel the pinch.

The only technical reason the Chinese have to stop India from getting into NSG is that we are not signatories to Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). However, some of the past member countries like France joined NSG without signing NPT which is the precedence India sights and its long record of maintaining its integrity with its own nuclear program unlike Pakistan who has been caught with its hand in the Cooke jar for clandestinely selling nuclear technology to rogue state like North Korea and in return getting nuclear capable ballistic missile technology which is prohibited under MTCR. Also, if India signs the NPT it will seriously compromise its national security since it will have to give up its nuclear arsenals and when you are surrounded by two neighbors with whom India have fought wars, it would be illogical. Plus we will be at the mercy of other nuclear power nations to protect us and in return make deals which will cost us dearly.

China knows this which is why it is forcing the NPT card on the table because India will never sign the NPT under the current clauses. It also knows that its lackey, Pakistan will also never sign the NPT thus making this whole action of India moot or both countries join after signing the NPT making it a win-win situation for China. So to propose Pakistan’s name to become a member of NSG as precursor knowing fully the other countries will say no to, will than give China the opportunity to state that by letting India into the NSG, it will create an unstable security dynamics in Asia and would lead to nuclear race. India is now a very fast growing economy and has a growing energy need. Since the world is fast moving towards clean energy and nuclear energy constitutes as one of the most important sources of clean energy which will fulfill our growing need.

Music is an entity indefinable by words alone. It is not only something you hear but what you feel. It is something your soul can reach out and touch. Complex or simple, fast or slow, loud or soft. It is what you feel, or it could be your method of escape or it could just keep you alive. One such genre of music is Blues. It is the music of the heart. It comes straight from the heart and holds such emotions that touches the cords of the listener’s heart. All you music lovers, you get what I mean, don’t you, and if especially blues is your genre too, you’re gonna love this. Listening to good blues, for me, is something where I can have a heart to heart conversation with the singer itself. Sadly, there are very few pure blues band in India. But here’s a list of the top five Blues band that all of us should know:

Soulmate: This one is my personal favorite, and also the best blues band in India by far. They are from Shillong, Meghalaya, which is also known as “India’s Rock Capital” owing to it’s inhabitants’ great passion for music. The band is primarily made up of Rudy Wallang(guitar/vocals/songwriter) and Tipriti ‘TIPS’ Kharbangar (vocals/guitar), although they frequently team up with session musicians when on tour. This band came together in 2003, playing their first concert at the ‘Roots Festival’ at Umiam. It also happens to be the only Indian blues band to have represented India at the 23rd International Blues Challenge organized by The Blues Foundation of America, in Memphis, Tennessee, USA, in February 2007 and 2010. Tipriti is considered as one of the finest female singers to have emerged from North East India and Wallang is considered one of the most respected blues guitarists of India.

Smokestack: This band named after the legendary song by Howling Wolf – Smokestack, started off as a pretty purist country blues trio, singing mostly covers of the classic blues songs across all styles in 2006. They all hail from Pune. At present the band consists of five members- Anoop Kumar (Vocals, Acoustic/Electric Guitar), Michael Thompson (Harmonica), Vishal Gore (Vocals, Bass, Electric/Acoustic Guitar), Shreyas Iyengar( Drums, Percussion) and Vidula Andromeda (Vocals, Harmonica). They began experimenting with folk and roots music as well as rhythmic influences from around the world, soon after their formation. This led to expanding the band to include drums and electric guitars. The band is known to channelize raw, direct emotions through their music.

The Saturday Night Blues: It is one of the only mainstream blues band in India, formed in 1999. The band, made up of some of the cream of Kolkata’s working musicians, performs frequently on Saturday nights at Someplace Else, the “Music Mecca” of India - The Park Hotel, downtown Kolkata - for over a decade The band members are Jayanta Dasgupta (Vocals, guitar), Arunima Dasgupta (vocals, percussion), Stuart Munro (vocals, bass guitar), and Avinash Chordia (drums). Be it the down home delta blues of Mississippi, the chic and groovy sounds of Chicago, the smokin’ jazz blues of New Orleans, the gritty blues of Texas or contemporary blues , this band plays it all! Their sound is lively, energetic and strongly groove driven and has won them a massive, steady fan following. Their informal and interactive approach towards the music and the audience always results in an evening that is pure entertainment. If you’re looking for some soaring slide guitar and smokin’ hot-rodded blues, this is the band you want to tune into!

Big Bang Blues: This band started off in 2009, with the electric blues sound, hails from the capital city, New Delhi. They then evolved into a more Blues-Rock act. The band members are- Sushant Thakur (Guitars/Slide)Ipshita Roy (Vocals), Shivam Khare (Keyboards), Rahul Rai (Bass), and Adhiraj Mustafi (Drums). The five-piece band creates its sound from the diverse influences from Led Zeppelin, Stevie Ray Vaughan to Aretha Franklin, Etta james. It is also known to create its sound from the diverse influences brought in together by the members who trace their roots to completely different backgrounds. It has brought to Indian music scene a variety of sounds with unmatched energy.

Blues Conscience: Founded in 2008, this band hails from Chennai. It began with the intent of promoting blues in the contemporary rock and metal dominated Indian music scene. The band members are- Anek Ahuja (Vocals/Bass), Aum Janakiram (Vocals/Guitars), Neil Smith (Drums), Sid Kumar (Keys), and guest member Maarten Vsiser (Saxophone). As a three piece outfit, their roots go deep into some of the greats that have played the blues such as B.B.King, Jimi Hendrix, etc., to name a few. They provide a fully suited up act, retaining every essence of the blues, and doing renditions of their own. Often this band is called a ‘feel good band’ that constantly engages the audience with the right energy.

All of these bands perform across India and are very refreshing. I hope you like this list and may it inspire ya’all music lovers to listen to more of Indian blues and appreciate the talent we have in our own motherland.

(p.s. Don’t forget to tell us what you think about it.)

Frustrated from the unbearable heat of Delhi? Here are 7 nearby “chilling out” places surrounding Delhi that can offer you the perfect getaway from this intolerable weather and Delhi’s prolong heavy traffic roads and crowdedness.

With an alluring scenic beauty to the much needed ‘air-freshness’ ,all of these hill stations are located within a radius of 400kms and thus they could be your next weekend destinations.

MORNI HILLS (260 kms)

Morni is a small village located at a distance of 260 kms from Delhi (In Panchkula district of Haryana). With a land full of greenery and astonishing beauty of nature one can just forget the worries of world and enjoy the treat of a marvelous scenic beauty of the hills. Blessed with breezing air in the lapse of the Mother Nature, Morni hills shall provide you the perfect escape from the Delhi’s stress. Some of the good sightseeing options are the two lakes that are present amidst the spurs of the hills, namely Tikkar taal and Bada tikkar (and Chota tikkar as well) which are also considered sacred by the local inhabitants. Apart from trekking, one can also choose to go for other activities like rock-climbing, Low ropes, commando nets, Burma Bridge, boating, canoeing, kayaking, sailing and rappelling. As an add on to the fun package, the area also has a well-constructed, thrilling adventure park to give you one of best joys of the mad rides. A weekend escape or even a family picnic spot, Morni gives it all.

LANSDOWNE (260.5 kms)

Lansdowne, one of the quietest and “unspoiled” hills station located in Pauri Garhwal district in Uttrakhand, could be the perfect destination to be cut off from the crowd and recline with peace. It is one of the cleanest hill stations as it lies in the well-off cantonment areas of Garhwal Rifles. With beautiful architecture and marvelous creativity, the buildings provide a spectacular insight into the times of British colonization. Salubrious weather and the mesmerizing view can be the perfect compliments for meditative rejuvenation. Apart from which is the infamous man-made artificial lake, Bhulla Lake, or locally named as Bhulla Tal is one of the most maintained lakes in the area and a major tourist attracter. Adventure activities like trekking, bird watching and boating can be a good source of entertainment as well.

Looking for a tranquil atmosphere? Then Lansdowne is a must visit!

NAHAN (262 kms)

Nahan, a hill town is the headquarters of ancient Sirmaur district of Himachal Pradesh, is a rich –in forests and snow capped mountains surrounding it. The picturesque hill station shall leave you spell bounded with its breathtaking view and culturally rich diversity in fauna. Being a historic town in the princely city of Sirmaur the land is marked with architectural establishments and a great agricultural base. It’s in the ‘must travel’ list for those interested in trekking. Apart from which, there are several tourist spots to give you pleasurable experience like Villa Round, Renuka Lake, Mall Road, Hospital Round, Kaisthan Temple, Jagannath Temple, Shudh Dhar Shiv Mandir, Shiwalik Fossil Park, Trilokpur Temple and Dhaula Kuan. Even a walk around the city will give you astonishing sights of its well maintained cleanliness.

Looking for the richness of both, greenery and culture? This is your ‘nearby’ dreamland.

NAUKUCHIATAL (313 kms)

No, it’s not the name of a town located down in the south, but a small lake village in Nainital to give you a place to rejuvenate in an enchanting valley. Naukuchital, literally meaning a nine-corned lake holds a mystic quality on the basis of some local myths and stories is a tourist attracting magnet. According to one of the beliefs, it is said that, if one takes a glimpse of all nine corners at once with foots on earth, one shall disappear in clouds to attain nirvana ( paradise, most appropriately). This implies that it is impossible to look at all nine corners of the lake at once with your foot on the ground. Apart from such mysterious elements, the village holds a heart-stopping beauty of flora and fauna to overwhelm you with a heavenly feeling. Placid beauty and a climate perfect to give you relaxation; Naukuchital’s beauty can be defined in a poet’s thoughts, a traveler’s odyssey and an avid dwellers peace of mind.

Next time if you think of visiting Nainital, do remember this place.

KANATAL ( 300 kms)

An amicable town near Mussoorie, Kanatal serves to be mainly a weekend getaway for the locals as well as those looking for a quite place undisturbed by the infestation of tourists unlike the popular hill station, Mussoorie. This town is located in a very scenic setting surrounding by mountains and rivers and creating an artistry beauty. Most of the times, the town is left untouched by the excessive tourist stepping and man-made ruckus, which adds to the ‘quietness’ of the town. You can also take a walk through the town and discover apple orchards, pine forests, tiny temples and the friendly locals. One can have a visit to the Kodia Jungle, which is a dense forest area located at a distance of around one kilometer away from Kanatal and spot a few wild animals by taking a ride through the jungle in a jeep, along with a rejuvenating bath at many natural springs which are quite prevalent in the region. Also, Tehri Dam is one of the ‘must see’ of this place. You can visit this place any time due to the neutrality in the climatic conditions which is pleasant and salubrious.

MUKTESHWAR (340 kms)

Mukteshwar, a pleasing town located in the Nainital district of Uttrakhand state got its name from a 350 year old temple named Mukteshwar Dham whose residing deity is Lord Shiva. As it sits high on the Kumaon Hills, the town treats you with a 180 degree astonishing views of the imposing Himalayan range. Legends say, Lord Shiva stepped at this place and eradicated Asur or a demon’s negativity and further granted him with Mukti or salvation. Earlier being untouched by the tourists, the town now witnesses a growing construction of hotels to render the services to the rising tourist population. It is said that the greenery here makes you fall in love with the nature completely, even claiming that one of the famous hunters, Jim Corbett (yes, the national park is named after him) came to shoot a tiger but fell in love with the town’s natural bounteousness. . One side offering the views of religious abode like Nanda Devi, Nanda Koti, Nandaghutni, Trishul and Panchachuli and the other capturing the views of a splendid valley covered with lush green forests is actually a feast to the eyes. Then what’s the wait? Come here and fall in love with the magnificence of nature’s beauty.

CHAIL (400 kms)

The former summer capital of Patiala, Chail is a beautiful hill station residing in the Shivalik range of Himachal Pradesh. Despite of panoramic views and resplendent aspect of the nature, Chail has a deep history in connection of its marvelous infrastructures present in the place. Be it Chail Palace, Chail Cricket ground and Chail Military School, they are all symbols of Chail’s connection with the erstwhile royal house of Patiala. Along with Kufri and Shimla, Chail are collectively called as the “Golden Triangle of Himachal Pradesh”. What adds to the perfection of this place is less number of tourist visitors, although the hill station is surrounded by two popular hill stations of north India. Thus, one can spend quality time with the gratuity of nature and its lively heritage of wild flora and fauna. Chail’s wildlife sanctuary attracts a large number of nature lovers and wildlife photographers. Easily spottable animals like Himalayan black deer; common langur, sambar, goral, wild boar etc await your presence to have a look at their grace and the vast green fields. It is an ideal place for the trekkers as lots of trekking trails lead from Chail to Shimla, Choor Peak, Kali Temple and other places. Angling another popular activity is undertaken in Giri River, which is few kilometers away from Chail. It is also a popular pilgrimage, as many tourists and locals visit KALI KA TIBBA, which is a famous Shrine in Chail, every year. One of the best times to visit this hill station is June itself. So hurry! And pack your bags for a getaway this weekend!

On Monday, the members of the Delhi University Teacher’s Association (DUTA) along with the scholars and students of Delhi University held a demonstration at Jantar Mantar demanding the withdrawal of the controversial Academic Performance Indicators (API) system and UGC Gazette Notification .

There have been innumerable protests which have been the talk of the town for last one month. The newspaper headlines are filled with the news of delayed results and their boycott in the admission process. This is because of the amendments ad changes made by the government in the contentious API and increase in working hours.

THE ACTUAL SCENARIO

The teachers are worried about their job security as many posts are being cut short in colleges. Moreover, according to DUTA, the increase in the number of direct working hours will reduce the requirement of excess staff and the appointed teachers will be overburdened, reducing the efficiency of the staff, thus, further degrading the education system. Earlier, direct working hours included lectures, practicals, project supervision and tutorials, all of which were treated equally, but tutorials have now been removed, and the definition has been narrowed down to "Lectures/Practicals/Project Supervision" .As per the UGC (Minimum Qualifications for appointment of teachers and other academic staff in universities and colleges and measures for the maintenance of standards in higher education) Regulations, 2010, the number of teaching hours has been increased. An Assistant Professor who was earlier required to teach 16 hours weekly will now have to work 18+6 hours and Associate Professors and Professors who worked 14 hours - including time spent on tutorials and practicals, will now have to work 16+6 hours and 14+6 hours respectively.

More changes have been proposed by API which has caused further restlessness for teachers.

Reduction in number of seats for teachers from various Colleges under DU:

Teaching posts have reduced to 13.4 per cent from 20 in physics department of Miranda House

Hindi department of Miranda will lose about 40.9 per cent of teaching posts

Shri ram College of Commerce will lose 49.4 per cent of teaching positions

Hindi department in Deshbandhu College will lose upto 49.8 per cent teaching positions

Political science department at Ramjas will lose 44.1 per cent and English at Kirori Mal, 39.5 per cent of its teaching posts

Changes to be implemented (Teachers' context):

Introduction of students' evaluation of teachers

Only students with more than 75 percent can evaluate their teachers

Under teaching/learning/evaluation, a teacher is expected to have 100 points as an assistant professor

Associate professors are expected to have 90 points in the same category

Professors are expected to have 80 points

PROTESTS AND CONFLICTS

The Teachers’ Union are protesting against the amendments proclaimed by the UGC. DUTA is a democratic body and we will not let the government decide our fate.” DUTA President Nandita Narain told The Citizen. She further added that the decision to boycott the evaluation was taken after the UGC notification was put before the General body and All Staff Association in a meeting which was held last week. The HRD Ministry is trying to protect the UGC by giving a view that it will make things more flexible and assured that the said changes will not result in any retrenchment of the staff members, yet the teachers continue to conduct mass protests and has taken the issue to higher authorities.

Attacking the new rules, the memorandum, signed by DUTA president Nandita Narain and secretary Saneep, said: "Any teacher who is interested in 60 points will have to teach 600 hours per year or 300 points per semester. In a semester of 15 weeks, this works out to 20 hours a week... it will be impossible to meet (the target) even if a teacher takes no leave at all, does not fall ill, does not enrol herself in Refresher Courses or do Research Projects.”

STUDENTS’ PROBLEMS AND WORRIES

The mass protests and delay in results has become a situation of worry for the students, especially for the sixth semester. Final year students are sceptical about their results and worried as they seek admission in post graduation courses after the completion of graduation in DU. They are supposed to submit the marksheet by mid of August, both in Indian and foreign educational institutions, which isn’t seeming feasible, as per the going trends.

The teachers are boycotting the new admission process which may delay the new session of the next batch, creating problems for all.

NEED OF THE HOUR

It is high time to come to a final solution to this issue which is running wild from last month so that all the other significant tasks may resume smoothly again. It is hard to say what is right and what is wrong, but even the right idea can degrade the education system if not implemented properly. Past is the clear witness of how vague changes in the system like the initiation of FYUP have experimented with the lives of students and teachers alike. Therefore, the changes should be made with deep thought and with the proper strategy of needful implementation.

Religion is a highly mistaken concept in contemporary world. Religion is related to the kind of clothes worn, the language spoken, the traditions and rituals followed and so on and so forth. India, the land of Unity in Diversity is a colourful country where every religion has the right to live peacefully. Religious diversity and religious difference are both established in the country by law and custom. The constitution of India has declared the right to Freedom of Religion as a fundamental right.

RELIGION AS FRAMED IN THE MIND OF PEOPLE

Religion, according to people, is following a particular set of culture and ideas, as prescribed by the Godman or their elder generations. More precisely, it is the blind faith in a supreme power that is different for groups of people. Right from the birth of a child, he is deemed to follow the ongoing traditions followed by his family. Even before beginning any activity, he has become a victim of social norms, unaware of its existence. He is told not to question or raise a finger against any custom, no matter how illogical it may seem. Any objection is considered as the ultimate sin of human life.

BLIND RELIGION

What exactly religion is? Is it just the separation of human race on the basis of outer pretence? Not at all.